Secrets of The Outer Rim
by Iona Albuquerque
Summary: Padawan Zaliza Vyvan and her master Ullara Avdune lead the 1204th Clone Battalion through the Outer Rim during the end of the Clone Wars. The effects of war on the Padawan are severe and this leaves Zaliza vulnerable to ancient mysteries hidden beyond known space. The journey of a Jedi as she forges a path that is not with the Republic, nor separatists, nor Empire, nor the rebels.
1. The Horrors of Warfare

This story takes place at the end of the Clone Wars and beyond, following Padawan Zaliza Vyvan and her Mirialan master, Ullara Avdune. The Jedi and their purple clad 1204th Clone Battalion beginning with The Siege of Felucia.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter I.

The Horrors of Warfare.

* * *

I took cover behind some bizarre gargantuan plant as two AT-TE walkers advanced at either side of me, their heavy cannons doing anything and everything to battle the battle droids entrenched on the ridge line above. The Clone wars were waging on all around the galaxy as The Galactic Republic with its Jedi peacekeepers and legions of Clone troopers battled against The Confederacy of Independent Systems, the separatist faction wielding the largest droid armies in history, all under the supervision of the Sith Lord Count Dooku. I had to believe that victory was near, all our information suggested that we had the separatists outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched, but as I looked at the Clone troopers trying to advance with the walkers being gunned down one by women by separatist laser fire, I didn't exactly feel like we were about to win. I knew that the only way we were going to advance is if I personally lead the charge.

I activated both ends of my double-bladed lightsaber, causing two purple blades to shimmer into life. I leaped out from cover and charged the droid positions, bringing the pinned down Clone forces with me as we sought to finally take the ridge. I cut the legs off of a battle droid with the rear blade of my weapon before swinging around and bringing the front blade down into its chest, disabling it. Using my lightsaber, I threw the wreckage into some droids on my left, bringing me the time I needed to swing around again and cut down another B1 Battle Droid. This left my preoccupied with the second line of heavier, deadlier B2 Super Battle Droids. I plunged my blade into the head of one droid before it could even fire but the rest were too quick. I was forced to go on the defensive. I used the Force to amplify my movements and I spun my double-bladed weapon with impossible speed, redirecting laser bolts at the blasted droids.

"Danger close!" a clone trooper shouted and I was forced to take cover yet again. I looked up to the skies as a squadron of Y-wing bombers strafed over the battle field, dropping their payload on the droid forces in the valley beyond the ridge line. A plant shielded my as heat and smoke blew past me at the side of the poor Felucian tree. There was a time in my life where I would have been shell-shocked by having just experienced an air strike from so close, but not anymore. It is impossible to ever truly get used to the sensation of hellfire and shrapnel exploding all around you every which way while brutal sound waves punish your ears and the stench of death defiles your smell, but the Clone Wars have at least made me numb to these horrors, after all, I face them time and time again in my duties as a Jedi Padawan. War and all the horrors attached to it are just another element of my life.

I am sixteen years old.

The air strike had cleared the way so that we could take the ridge line, the Clones and I finished off the charred remains of any droid stragglers. The first step of our mission complete, I knelt down at the edge of the ridge line, observing the valley below. The bombing run had down its job, scorching droids and the innocent plants and lifeforms of Felucia above, however, the separatist presence on this part of Felucia was so great that the droid armies already had reinforcements filling up the valley while their comrades were still crawling out from under the rubble. Clone Commander Warlock joined me. The officer in his white armor personalized with purple details, including a visor, a pauldron, and a black skirt around his legs was covered in stylized purple lightning bolts, a sort of symbol that he adopted when he was given the moniker Warlock. The man was an excellent soldier and I trusted him with my life, so, while we were technically equal rank, he was the professional and I was the peacekeeper - I may be a better fighter, but I tended to leave decisions to him when it came to actual battle strategy and tactics. My master, Master Avdune, operated rather similarly, though she had stayed to protect our heavier tanks, the A6 Juggernauts, as the massive wheeled vehicles took the winding local road rather than advancing straight through the heavy jungle like we had with the walkers.

"Wishlist! Williams! Winch! On me, we're heading into the valley with Commander Vyvan! Warden, Witchcraft - cover us!" Warlock gave the order and primed his scattergun before we slid down into the valley below, my double-bladed purple lightsaber cutting down droid after droid as Warlock blasted a fist sized hole into a Super Battle Droid. Wishlist was Warlock's second in command, earning his name due to his habit of requisitioning huge amounts of gear, gear which he admittedly put to good use. The Clone always seemed to have more droid poppers and thermal detonators than everyone else, something which the soldier proudly displayed by rolling a droid popper into a group of droids. The EMP grenade electrocuted the droid while otherwise being harmless. Clearing the way for the soldier with a purple W - the unofficial logo of the 1204th - painted across his helmet to advance. Williams was armed with a full length blaster rifle and his armor was so heavily painted purple that the white seemed like the accents rather than the other way around, nevertheless, he was meticulous as he blasted the heads off of B1 Battle Droids time and time again. He was our squadron's strategist. Winch earned his name because he was initially our squad's mechanic, however, the war has forced his to take on triple duty as mechanic, field medic, and soldier all at once. The war was hard on all of us and the soldier with the two purple tesla coils painted on either side of his T-shaped visor was no exception.

A group of droidekas rolled out of the brush and were about to stop and activate their shields when Warden - so called because of his skills with crowd control - unleashed the full power of his Z6 Rotary Cannon. The soldier with a stylized prison cage painted over his chest and a purple police badge painted just above his visor mowed down the droidekas before they could even become a problem. All of us were so distracted by the arrival of the destroyer droids we didn't even notice that a commando droid was about to ambush Commander Warlock, fortunately, he had a guardian angle on his side. Witchcraft was a young clone who Warlock had taken on as a protege and the young ward paid his teacher back by saving his life. A single sniper bolt to the head brought down the commando droid and alerted us to the ambush. I turned on a dot and bisected the one that was about to ambush me. Wishlist, Williams, and Winch all opened fire while Warden suppressed them. The Clones celebrated, once again, their squadron had faced impossible odds and lived to tell the tale.

Clone troopers were bred for the sole purpose of war. Most of them are expected to die.

The airstrike had thinned their numbers and reduced their AAT tanks to smoldering wrecks, but we were not done, not by a long shot. Warden and Witchcraft joined us from the ridge along with other members of the 1204th battalion that I was less familiar with. We had to take the rest of the valley and join up with Master Avdune on the main road. She is counting on us taking the direct route faster than the road so that we can clear a large separatist checkpoint before it could catch our tanks as sitting ducks.

My robes, a very dark reddish-brown protected my red skin - I was a Zeltron, a near human species with red-skin - I had purple eyes and black hair, though the latter was hidden under my hood. In this outfit I advanced through the wreckage and exotic plant life of Felucia into what was surely going to be another separatist force. The brush in the valley eventually gave way to another clearing just off of the road and my suspicions proved correct. We had to face one last separatist force before attacking the checkpoint. I reactivated both ends of my lightsaber as the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer walkers opened fire on the droid ranks. Destroying their AAT tanks and announcing our arrival. I charged into battle, the clones not far behind me.

I Force pushed a number of B1 battle droids down, the pressure combined with their impact with the ground was enough to break the standard droid units. A B2 Super Battle Droid equipped with a rocket launcher aimed at me, charged his blaster, and was about to fire when I waved my right hand and his arm was suddenly aiming to his right, directly at a number of fuel barrels. The explosion finished off half the droids but, unfortunately for us, the droids left standing were the heavier, tougher droids. Two vulture droids were on the ground, using their pointed wings as legs, fully capable of splitting a person clean in half. I would focus on them. I got their attention with a battle cry and slid below a laser blast before twisting off my rear into a standing position. My saberstaff pierced one of the four legs. I cut the leg off and the droid was falling over. I penetrated the droid's head from below, stabbing droid through the under-chassis. One vulture droid down, one to go. I ran up the body of the one droid and jumped into the air above the other one. I gathered the Force in my free right hand before coming straight down. An explosion of energy directly on top of the vulture droid's head killed it. I jumped off and touched down on the ground While Williams kicked a Super Battle Droid's leg out from under it, allowing Warden to spray it with his rotary cannon.

We had done all that, but now we had to take the checkpoint. The six man clone squad, three other troopers, and I knelt down at the side of the road, behind the checkpoint. Three two story barricades blocked the road with two towers - one on either side. A tactical droid was in command of a force of B1 and B2 battle droids, the B1s on the tower were armed with Geonosian sonic cannons. There were two crab droids with them. This was going to be difficult, but not impossible. Wishlist passed a thermal detonator to each of us - his requisitions did indeed come in handy.

We threw our grenades at the droid checkpoint and attacked. The tactical droid had survived but I opted to correct that immediately. I used my lightsaber holding left hand to pull the droid towards me while simultaneously using my free right hand to Force push the droid's head away. The tactical droid was decapitated as his head and body went flying separated directions. I ran towards a crab droid before jumping on top of it and plunging the rear blade of my weapon into its skull. I then moved on the right side tower. Running close to the tower I cut down the supports opposite of the road and got out of the way as the tower fell back into the valley. The B1 battle droid, out of incompetence, decided to help me by firing its sonic cannon at the opposite tower, bringing that one down too. I looked through the barrier as Commander Warlock gunned down the last Super Battle Droid, censoring the act by scorching the glass window of the barrier. The checkpoint was clear.

"Clear the barriers and move the walkers up to the clearing. Once Master Avdune arrives, we're taking down the separatist base." I gave the order and helped the troops by lifting and moving the central barrier with the Force. The barriers were clear and the AT-TE walkers moved into position, aiming their guns at the spire of the separatist base at the end of the road. Our mission on Felucia was to take down this base, allowing for General Aayla Secura and her forces to land their cruisers and begin their full scale assault on the planet. We would be returning to Coruscant for a time after this, our campaign through separatist space has been lengthy and losses have been high. The men have more than earned their break.

The A6 Juggernauts arrived and Master Avdune jumped down from the roof, landing next to me. The Mirialan deactivated her green lightsaber and placed it on the belt around her brown robes. She was ever so slightly taller than me but our built was basically the same. My Master was only 25, only nine years older than me. She would not have taken a Padawan on this early under normal circumstances, however, the war means that Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters are becoming ever more scarce while the number of Padawans, still recruited before the Clone Wars, some even even Naboo, stay the same. The gap between master and apprentice has never been smaller, such is the price of this war.

Children leading children to die.

Missiles from the Juggernauts and laser fire from the AT-TEs destroyed the separatist base as our LAAT/I gunships landed in the clearing. Explosions and smoke filled the skies behind us as the spire collapsed, but I didn't care, I found it all distasteful. I boarded a gunship with Master Avdune and our main squadron of clones, we would be taken back to our star destroyers. I was grateful when the doors shut, I didn't have to see the devastation anymore, though I knew that this was not the end. General Secura would lead the Republic through the rest of The Battle of Felucia while Master Avdune and I were sent off to some other battlefield. We were no longer peacekeepers, we were now soldiers, as far as I was concerned, there was no denying it anymore.

* * *

I watched from the bridge of the Venator-class star destroyer _Sage_ as we hit hyperspace before leaving the bridge all together. I was heading back to my quarters. I had my hood down and stood quietly as I rode the elevator down, two clones were on it with me, though they kept their conversation to themselves - I didn't mind. I left the elevator just as quietly once we reached my level, the clones continued on their way down. I walked down the familiar hallway to my quarters - they were adjacent to Master Avdune's - before entering them.

Jedi quarters were sparse, such was the way of the Jedi. There was a cot for me, a spare set of robes, and a small shelf where I could put my lightsaber. There was a bathroom connected to it - nothing special, just a sink, a vacc tube, and a refresher. I laid down on my cot but I was not going to sleep yet, I wasn't in the mood for meditating either, but I wanted to be alone. I understand that our enemies are just droids, I know that when I reach out with the Force, they are not alive, in fact, they are voids in the Force, but we have seen time and time again that droids are capable of free-thinking, that they can act independently, and that they can develop personalities, they may not be lifeforms in the conventional sense, but they are definitely something. Not since the golden age of the Sith have the Jedi been so involved in a war and those wars brought the Republic to its knees, I fear that this war is having a similar effect on both the Jedi and the Republic.

The Jedi claim to be peacekeepers and we claim to be the personifications of the Light Side of the Force, but when I am told by the Jedi Council to go off and bring separatist worlds back under Republic control, against the will of their governments, I can't help but think that, with every passing day, what separates us from the Sith is shrinking and shrinking. I know that the Jedi mean well, I know that our war is in service of the Republic, but I question if we even should be serving the Republic. First of all, if the Jedi are to be peacekeepers, is it not best for us to be entirely impartial? How are we supposed to truly be peacekeepers if we have a vested interest in seeing the Republic succeed and grow? The Jedi Order should be entirely neutral. Alternatively, if we are to be defenders of the Republic first and peacekeepers second, should we not object to Chancellor Palpatine with his multiple terms, his increasing use of emergency powers, and his growing influence over every facet of government? I am not proposing a coup, I am proposing that we defend the Republic's constitution rather than the Republic's leader. The role of the Jedi within and without the Republic is becoming increasingly questionable and that scares me, especially because no one seems to be doing anything about it, not Master Avdune, not famous Jedi like Aayla Secura or Anakin Skywalker, and not the Jedi Council.

I am scared for what will happen to the Jedi after the war - can Padawans like I really go back to resolving local disputes and questing for knowledge after going directly from being younglings to become front line soldiers? I am scared of what will happen to the clones - how will the Republic handle it when there's suddenly millions of identical men with accelerating aging and the most advanced military training of all time looking for jobs? I'm scared for the Republic itself - how can we go back to regular democracy and economics after Palpatine took control of so many senatorial duties and of the banks to fight this war? I didn't know the answers to any of those questions and that terrified me. My entire life is moving at the speed of light and I fear what will happen when all of that comes to a sudden stop. I know that Master Yoda always warned myself and other Padawans about fear when we were mere younglings, but, with the entire galaxy at war, how can I not feel fear? I want help, I need help, but I feel like I would disappoint Master Avdune if I ask her. I don't want her to think that I am doubting her or that I'm a bad student, it's not her fault and it's not my fault, but I don't know how to confront that.

Spending my whole life in the Jedi Temple has made me an excellent thinker, there is so much to learn and so much to think about, but the fact that we are to control our emotions and the fact that most masters are far older than their apprentices - though again, the Clone Wars have changed that, though not for the right reasons - my social skills are stunted. I don't know how to ask my master the questions that I so desperately want answered. Perhaps a friend around my age would make things easier, but it's hard to make friends in a war. Not just because assignments often put us on opposite ends of the Galaxy but because any Padawan I befriend can die in any mission at any point. I don't want to go through all the effort of making a friend just to see them die. I would really need help then and getting warned about making attachments is not help, far from it.

"I sensed you are in distress." Master Avdune quietly entered my room. I took a deep breath, Ullara may be my master and she may have authority over me, but she is the closest person to my age within the Order that I talk to on a regular basis and she isn't that much older than me, surely she must at least understand this turmoil. I had to hope that she would help me, because now that she has confronted me, I know that she won't let me be until she hears the truth. I suppose that this makes her a good master and a good person, but it didn't really feel that way for me, this felt like something I may be punished over. If nothing else, I hope this didn't make Master Avdune doubt my ability to become a Jedi Knight.

"Yes master, I am sorry, but I am troubled." I admitted, rising up to a seated position but unwilling to make eye contact quite yet, I feel like seeing her reactions would only make my confession harder than it already is. Sensing her emotions would only do the same thing so I tried to focus on anybody but her, I wanted to deafen myself to her emotions as much as possible "I am worried about the Jedi."

"About the Jedi? How so?" Master Avdune asked, clearly assuming that I had a vision about some sort of Sith plot. Somehow, I wish that it was that simple, a Sith plot, while usually obscenely complex and immoral, was at least something tangible, something that could be stopped in a rather straightforward way. The rotting of the Jedi and the Republic from the inside out? That was a more troublesome issue.

"Master...I fear that we are not staying true to our mandate. Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers, guardians, scholars, yet instead, we are commanders and generals fighting a war that is essentially a Republic Civil War." the separatists were systems that voted to leave the Republic, now, the Republic does not have a form of lawful secession, but, the secession is democratic. People voted for this, now, Count Dooku certainly coerced any worlds into joining his cause, but we are not viewing this from an entirely impartial perspective. We are seeing the separatists as Sith because they are led by a Sith but we are seeing ourselves as an instrument of the Republic. I wonder how the Jedi would react to this war if we truly were impartial keepers of the peace.

"The war is hard on all of us Zaliza, but the Sith started this war as a plot to take over the Republic. Separatist democracy is a ruse to bring legitimacy to a Sith regime after countless Sith Empires have failed in the past. It is our mission to defend the Republic from the Sith and, while I do agree that seeing us as commanders and generals aboard star destroyers is not how the Jedi Order should be, this is how the Council has opted to proceed and we must stay loyal to our Council." Master Avdune explained, I understood that we had to protect the galaxy from the Sith but is this really the way to do that? The goal of this war is not to track down and stop Count Dooku, if it was, you'd think that we would have at least figured our Dooku's proper Sith name by now, but no, we are being used as shock troops in a war between the Republic and the separatists. As for staying loyal to the Jedi Council, well...what if the Jedi Council is not acting in accordance to the Jedi Code? What comes first, the Code or the Council? I knew that my master was trying to help and I was grateful for it, but her assurances are just making me ask more and more questions leading to me feeling more and more troubled.

"Master...how are we supposed to go back to being regular Jedi after all of this?" I asked the question that was probably disturbing me the most. I didn't understand how we were expected to just shrug off the horrors of warfare when all of this war over. I don't understand how training to kill, resentment between Republic systems and separatist systems, and the mental strain of seeing thousands of clones die in battle can be erased. I fear that, even if we do live through this war, Master Avdune and I will spend the rest of our lives cleaning up the shadow of this conflict.

"We have to try Zaliza. Everything happens for a reason and the Force is testing us, the Jedi, as a group. It will be difficult to tame ourselves and to tame the galaxy when the fighting ends, but it is up to the Jedi Order to find a way. Without the Jedi, there can never truly be peace in this galaxy." Master Avdune tried to assure me, passing this whole war off as some sort of mass cosmic trial, but I didn't buy it for a second. My master is trying to assure me but she doesn't have the answers to these questions, I bet not even her former master does, the Clone Wars have resulted in a great division between those who wish to learn and those who actually have the wisdom to teach. Master Avdune is a fantastic Jedi and she has taught me everything that I know, but she is struggling to teach me now. She has taught me how to use the Force, she has taught me how to use a lightsaber, and she has taught me how to do battle, but she has never taught me how to achieve inner peace because that is something that she never achieved. I think it has been a long time since any Jedi has achieved inner peace, perhaps Master Yoda was the last one to do so, perhaps not even he has done it, but the for every other Jedi, it is clear that we are not at peace within.

I know that Master Avdune must be struggling with these same questions inside of her and, if she wasn't before, she certainly is now. If the both of us are struggling with this, then this is indicative of a larger problem within the Jedi. We must recommit ourselves to peace and find our purpose in the galaxy, otherwise, more and more young Jedi Padawans will be forced to become child soldiers.

* * *

"Master Jedi, we are being alerted to an incident on the C77-R5S landing pad. All available troops in the area are being called to respond." Our clone pilot said over the intercom when we were finally coming in for a landing on Coruscant. No rest for the Jedi I suppose.

"Take us there now captain." Master Avdune ordered and our shuttle changed course. I didn't like that there was already an incident when we had just arrived on Coruscant, though I suppose it has been a long time since I've had to do something that didn't involve the war or my increasingly worried thoughts over it. This was annoying, but perhaps it would turn out to be good for me. The shuttle touched down on the landing pad and Master Avdune and I got off, both of us holding our lightsabers but not activated them. Ullara held her single-bladed green lightsaber in her right hand and I had my double-bladed purple lightsaber in my left. Master Avdune had initially questioned why I went with such a weapon if I was opposed to war, I then explained that there is a peaceful element to martial arts and that, in many ways, learning how to properly use a saberstaff used the same skills as meditation. I needed to be focused, obviously, I needed to be calm - erratic anger with a double-bladed lightsaber is a good way to cut yourself in half - and I needed to be in touch with the Force - I had to feel where the weapon would go and how it would react before I even moved.

The incident, didn't seem to be much of an incident at all. Sure, a number of Republic troops were gathered and training their blasters at the other party, but when I looked over at the other party, what I saw was hardly threatening. A mildly annoyed red-skinned Nautolan woman with sharp black tattoos down her Lekku stood wearing a black and purple hooded robe, four of her numerous Lekku coming over her shoulders -two on each side - and hanging over her chest. The woman had a curved-hilt lightsaber on her hilt and had the same entirely black eyes as Master Fisto. She was clearly not a Jedi but, at the same time, she was clearly not attacking us. She was accompanied by two women - one a brunette human, the other a bald orange-skinned Zabrak - in similar robes armed with electrostaffs - these guards were not Force sensitive - a glossy black protocol droid that, for whatever reason, was holding a blaster rifle, and an Echani woman in silver and black Mandalorian armor. The retinue was certainly well armed but none of them were ready to attack, merely ready to defend themselves. This was certainly proving to be a lot more intriguing than I had been expecting and it seemed like it would actually have a peaceful resolution. I mean, if a fight was going to start, wouldn't it have started by now? Testing the waters, Master Avdune and I approached, passing the clones and approaching the Nautolan woman standing just in front of an angular, swept-wing jet black starship. She was strong in the Force, but in a different way than the Jedi Masters. I wanted to know more.

"Greetings travelers. My name is Ullara Avdune, Jedi Knight, this is my Padawan, Zaliza Vyvan. Welcome to Coruscant." Master Avdune greeted warmly before bowing, I followed her lead. After a moment of showing respect, we rose, waiting to see how the intriguing red-skinned woman react. She looked at my master for all but a moment before turning to me, her alien eyes were difficult to read, but she definitely stared at me for far longer than she stared at Master Avdune, nevertheless, the woman, who couldn't have been much older than I was, turned to my master for her greeting.

"I know all about your Jedi ways Master Avdune and I know exactly where I am. I am on the Republic homeworld, the world that has been a cesspit of corruption and sin for millennia, unfortunately, I am here to ask for help." the woman spoke with a posh accent and managed to come across as polite despite the fact that she clearly hated our order. The words she said suggested that she was a Sith, but the fact that she hasn't attacked us yet and the fact that she is here for help suggests something very different. She can't be a Sith if she wanted help from the Jedi Order and the Republic. I turned to Master Avdune, hoping that my master saw this the same way I did, this clearly wasn't the enemy of the Jedi Order, this was a friend, a surprising one, but a friend nonetheless. My eyes trialed downwards and I could see that my master's finger was on the activation switch of her lightsaber. I suddenly begged to the Force itself that she would not react violently...if she activated that lightsaber, she would be the one to start a conflict with the Nautolan woman and her companions.

I glanced back up at her retinue, the two female guards were on the verge of activating their electrostaffs but they were not going to make the first move, the Mandalorian and the protocol droid had their weapons ready but down. If Master Avdune activated her lightsaber, we would have a full scale fight in a nanosecond. I silently begged my master, avoid the fight, for pragmatic reasons if nothing else.

* * *

Ugh, cliffhanger I know, I'm sorry, but I will have chapter two ready next week. After that, chapters will be biweekly, alternating with my EU4 fanfiction The Legacy of The Romans. I also have a SWTOR story on hold so, if you prefer that, let me know, I will write whichever story you guys want.

Ciao everyone!


	2. An Unexpected Ally

Well last chapter ended with a cliffhanger but we're going to resolve that here.

Also, random note, but I was watching an episode of Star Wars Rebels and a Force-sensitive youngling was named Ullara or something similar, I didn't actually know that because I never gave Rebels a fair chance before now. Anyway, it's a complete coincidence so if any Star Wars encyclopedians happen to be reading this and decide to hit me with an "akshually..." I didn't know.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter II.

An Unexpected Ally.

* * *

My master kept her finger on the activation switch of her lightsaber, however, my silent pleas through the Force finally seemed to have an effect on her as I felt a flash of clarity emerge out of her cloud of suspicion. She was still prepared to strike at the red-skinned Nautolan with her black tattoos, but Master Avdune was a Jedi. She understood that if a Jedi strikes at a someone asking for help, even if that person seems to be an enemy of the Jedi Order, then the Jedi has broke her own code and defied her values. My master decided to resolve this diplomatically and I would give her thanks once we were alone again.

"Who are you and what do you need help with?" Ullara managed to return to an even and welcoming voice despite the fact that I could tell that my young master was unhappy with this Nautolan over her views on the Jedi Order. I understood where she was coming from, she was clearly a Force user, she had a lightsaber, and the colors and tattoos seemed to imply that she was a Dark Side user. All of this implied that this Nautolan was a Sith Lord, however, that didn't make sense. There were only two Sith in the galaxy - Count Dooku and his master. I found it hard to believe that this teenage alien woman was Count Dooku's master. I suppose she could be a Dark Jedi assassin like Asajj Ventress or Savage Opress, but if Count Dooku found an assassin, why would the very first mission be a suicide mission to Coruscant? And, if it was that, who is the target?

Perhaps the assassin is targeting the Jedi Council or the Chancellor and trying to get an audience with them, but Dooku knows better, a lone assassin is not going to get a sole audience with the Chancellor, an assassin with a retinue is not going to get all her guards and all her weapons into a meeting without an even greater security force in response to counter that. This mission, if it is a mission, no matter how you look at it, is a suicide mission. That only adds more evidence that this has to be genuine, as I scanned over her retinue, I sensed unease, I sensed doubt, and I sensed the retainers putting up walls as they realized I was reaching out. These people were just as suspicious about us as we were at them. They may look like Sith, but they are certainly not acting like what the Jedi have been led to believe that the Sith are. They are being civil and I think that it is only fair to be civil in return.

"My name is Phanza Attam, apprentice to Grand Duchess Voytana of Taaszon. My master represents eleven systems in the distant outer rim and the third largest military force in the galaxy. The pretender, Count Dooku, has challenged our authority and his droid armies are threatening to invade our outlying worlds. We come here for an alliance. Support us against the pretenders and their droid armies, help us defend our worlds, and we will join your war." Phanza proposed. I have never heard of Taaszon or any sort of Grand Duchy in the distant outer rim, certainly not one spanning multiple systems. I glanced over at my master but Ullara showed no sign of recognition either. Her suspicion flared up again and, to be honest, I was rather suspicious too, some of the things she said suggested that she represented a potential threat...and what did she mean when she called Dooku a pretender?

"We haven't heard of Taaszon or this Grand Duchy. What other systems do you control?" Master Avdune asked, she was digging for information, hoping to find a hint at what this faction was, what they controlled, and whether or not anything she said was legitimate. I was eager to learn more myself and I was glad that Ullara was searching for information rather than trying to stop this very unique retinue. I caught the armed protocol droid glancing at the clone troopers who were still aiming their blasters at this Force user and her companions. Somehow, the protocol droid managed to look belligerent, as if it wanted a fight. The Mandalorian was wearing a helmet masking her expression while the Zabrak and the human guards with their electrostaffs had serene expressions on their faces - but a deadly kind of serene. They were more than confident in their ability to protect their mistress.

"Taaszon is not on Republic maps, nor on separatist maps. We have kept ourselves secret for as long as possible, but, with the droids finding us, we have unveiled ourselves. We shall show you a map of the systems relevant to the separatist account. This does not include Taaszon itself." Phanza was only willing to reveal their outlying worlds to us, she was distrustful of us, however, given that my master was at very least considering attacking her with a lightsaber, I had to be honest, I didn't exactly blame Phanza. At the same time, given that Phanza was asking for help while trashing our Order, accusing our Republic of corruption, and being uncooperative with giving information, I didn't blame Master Avdune either. This seemed like it was going to turn into a conflict if I didn't do something, however, I didn't want to question my master's authority, especially considering that Phanza was openly ridiculing our Order and our way of life. I did not want to see these two women fight but I didn't know what I could do without questioning Ullara.

"Master...perhaps we should bring this to the Jedi Council." I whispered to her, doing what I could to avoid seeing these two women fight. My master nodded just barely, trying to make it so that I could see but that Phanza wouldn't see, however, I doubted that Attam missed either the whisper or the nod, she knew exactly what was going on and I wouldn't be surprised if she knew our motivations too.

"Phanza Attam...I will bring this before the Jedi Council, however, before I go, I must ask one question." Master Avdune got deadly serious for a moment and Phanza nodded with a confident smirk on her lips, the red-skinned Nautolan did not see any question phasing her "Are you a Sith?"

"Yes Jedi, a true Sith. The Grand Duchy represents the final fragment of The Sith Empire of old. We have stood in exile for three thousand years and now we must grovel before our ancient enemies to protect us from thieves who have appropriated our symbols. We are Sith, but we have nothing to do with Count Dooku or his master, in fact, they are our enemy. They are your enemy too and, as we all know, the enemy or your enemy is your friend. You and your Council remember that Master Avdune. Run along now...as for you, Padawan Vyvan, I look forward to seeing you more." My eyes opened wide and I was about to ask Phanza what she meant when Master Avdune ushered me away. At least we were going to the Jedi Temple, where we could help this mysterious woman. This woman who was a Sith but came here, to Coruscant itself, to ask us for help.

* * *

"A Sith came here for help? Master Windu asked incredulously, I knew that it was not the Jedi way to presume, but I could already tell that he was against this idea and, unfortunately for me, I felt that resonating from most of the Jedi Council. Master Avdune was putting up a legitimate case but she didn't even believe herself, she was fighting mainly for my sake - she knew that I was troubled and she knew that I did not want to fight against Phanza Attam. Ullara was doing this for me and I did appreciate it, but her heart wasn't in it, not for the right reasons anyway. I knew that I would be overstepping my boundaries once again but I felt that, if I didn't respond myself soon, I may have to see the Jedi Order condemn an innocent woman simply because she is a Sith. I understand that the Jedi and the Sith have been at war ever since the Sith were founded, but surely being a Sith in itself is not a crime?

"With all due respect Master Windu, she asked us for help and offered up an alliance. She claims to represent a series of systems unlisted on our charts." Master Avdune bounced back a little bit, mentioning help and the alliance could only help.

"How do we know if these uncharted systems even exist?" the Cerean Master Ki-Adi Mundi interjected. A flash of frustration came over me because the Council kept focusing on the wrong things but I quelled myself down - Master Yoda, who has been silently meditating this whole time, glanced at me, as if shooting a light warning, however, he left it at that. I am glad that it was Master Yoda who caught my emotional lapse rather than Master Windu, the latter, from what I've heard, is far stricter than Master Yoda, who I have first hand experience with dating back to when I was a youngling training in one of his classes. I was about ready to jump in and respond to the master with his distinctive head courtesy of two brains but Master Kenobi jumped in first.

"Our charts have been wrong before, Kamino had been missing." Obi-Wan Kenobi pointed out in holographic form - Master Kenobi was not here in person, he and Master Skywalker were preoccupied with events in the Outer Rim, much like Master Avdune and I had been - I was grateful for his input. Obi-Wan is perhaps the most qualified one here when it comes to the Sith, after all, he has faced against more of them than most of the Council and he has even briefly worked with the Dark Jedi Assassin Asajj Ventress when the two were dealing with common enemies.

"Kamino was a single planet, this is eleven systems." Mace Windu responded, he was our biggest enemy here, it seemed that he was the most belligerent against the Sith. I did not want to question a Jedi who has done as much for our Order as Master Windu, but I feel that his fixation on stopping the Sith borders on an obsession and it may even be driven by hatred. I fear even members of the Jedi Council may be falling into the clutches of the Dark Side thanks to this vile war. So many lives have been lost, so many lives will be lost before this war is over, and now, someone is asking for help, and just because she is a Sith we are seriously considering opening up another front and starting another war? Against an enemy we cannot even find because we don't know where Taaszon or any of their other systems are.

"Kamino's absence is different from uncharted space. There is something suspicious about the Kaminoans, they have demonstrated untrustworthy behavior and secrecy recently. I fear Kamino was deliberately hidden from us while these Sith are merely hiding out on the fringes of the galaxy." Master Shaak Ti weighed in her opinion, this was yet another tangent. I knew this is important and from what I know about Kamino's discovery by Master Kenobi, the situation has always been hazy, clarity was needed with Kamino, but right now, there is a Nautolan woman asking for our help in the face of a separatist invasion and I feel the fact that she is a Sith is irrelevant. It is the duty of the Jedi Order to help her and, only by doing so, can we ever hope to reconcile our differences and bring Phanza, as well as others, back to the Light Side of the Force. That could be it, that could be an angle that will get the Jedi Council to help Attam and her people.

"With all due respect Masters," I made my move and began talking in front of the Council, I knew that Master Avdune and even some of the Councilors were glaring at me but it's too late now, I've committed to this "There is a civilization of Force users out there that is not our enemy, not right now anyway, they even want an alliance. I feel like rejecting their alliance and leaving them to the separatists can only lead to two outcomes. One: the droid armies win and gain eleven new systems that we can't even find, or two: the Sith defeat the droid armies and suddenly we have two groups of Sith with a vendetta against us. You have always told me to trust in my instincts, and my instincts tell me that refusing to help will only lead to more pain and suffering. Please Masters, look past the fact that they are Sith and realize that there are people who need our help and, as Jedi, it is our duty to help them." I made my speech before turning my eyes down, gazing at the floor and meekly retreating to my spot next to Master Avdune, I did not dare anticipate their reactions.

I felt that something was about to flare up and that the Jedi Council Chamber was about to erupt into an argument but all of that vanished in a moment. I looked up to see Master Yoda had simply raised a hand and that had been enough to bring order to the room. Master Yoda has lived for centuries and his wisdom is legendary. His word carries weight even among his fellow Jedi Councilors.

"Right, Padawan Vyvan is. A cry for help, refuse, we cannot." Yoda managed to sway enough of the Council that, when they then went to a vote about it, the majority of Masters decided to help Phanza Attam. I was excited even if I tried to keep it muted but Master Yoda sensed it nonetheless and stood up, walking over to me "Over, this is not. A Republic matter, this is. Meet with the Chancellor, you must."

I thought getting this passed the Jed Council was going to be the hard part, but now, now we had to deal with a politician. Oh well, at least Chancellor Palpatine won't be as concerned with the Sith as the Jedi Council is.

* * *

"Phanza Attam." Master Avdune bowed slightly and I followed her lead. Master Yoda, Master Windu, Master Fisto, and Master Kolar were already on route to the Chancellor's office, they were willing to cooperate with these Sith, but they were not willing to trust them. I suppose that is the best that I can hope for, even if I believe that the Jedi should not be mistrustful "The Jedi Council has agreed to allow you to meet with Chancellor Palpatine to discuss this alliance. The Clones will stand down and we shall escort you there, but your retainers are to stay with your ship."

"I tire of these pointless restrictions Jedi - if we were going to kill you, we would have already. But we shall humor you." Phanza couldn't roll her eyes due to their alien nature, but I could practically feel the gesture just before she turned around, she faced the protocol droid, the Mandalorian, and finally her two guards, first the Zabrak and then the human "HK-107, Ceyla, Ruumshi, Avoine. Stay with the _Ultimate_. I will return shortly.

We grabbed Phanza by either arm and ushered her into an open top speeder, she seemed more bemused than anything else. That unsettled me, I do admit. Phanza clearly wielded an awesome power, she was entirely confident that she could kill both of us easily if she needed to. I wanted to chalk that all up to the usual Dark Side arrogance but, somehow, I was having trouble convincing myself that it was all so simple. We rode to the Senate building as Phanza Attam sat between us, perfectly calm and serene while Master Avdune and I were both worried and afraid. Fear is the path to the Dark Side while serenity is a staple of the Jedi Code, yet right now, it seems like things were flipped. Perhaps our fear of the Sith was undermining our very own ideology. I don't know if she sensed my doubts about the Jedi Order or what, but in the corner of my eye I could see Phanza Attam smirking and that only filled me with more fear. She seemed more interested in me than she was in my Master and that could only mean something terrible.

The speeder landed in front of the Senate building and we got the Nautolan Sith to her feet, guiding her inside while we were flanked by Senate guards - no one was sparing any chances when it came to a Sith, good intentions or not. The Senate guards surrounded us and led us directly to Palpatine's office, practically handing us over to the Jedi Councilors inside. Master Avdune and I bowed before the Chancellor, paying our respects to the elderly leader of the Republic, even if he had taken more power and served for longer than any Chancellor in history. I shook my own opinions off, this meeting was not about the Chancellor's increasingly dictatorial tendencies, this meeting was about the red-skinned Nautolan between us.

We watched her every move, ready to pounce as she rose both her arms, however, she was not raising them to attack. Phanza Attam lowered her hood, revealing more of her Lekku covered in those sharp, angular black tattoos. Kit Fisto seemingly disproved of this, I could see that in his normally jovial expression, however, the Jedi Master did not vocalize his distaste for his fellow Nautolan. Phanza's eyes opened wide before narrowing slightly as she looked at Chancellor Palpatine, seemingly taken aback, though none of us knew why. When I looked back, I could swear that Palpatine narrowed his eyes too, though only for a moment. I tried to see what she had seen or sense it but I could not see anything, it was all clouded by the Dark Side. I had to assume that it was because of Phanza Attam, after all, she was the only Dark Side user here, but I knew I didn't feel this earlier.

"Chancellor Palpatine, my name is Phanza Attam," the Sith introduced herself politely and bowed before our Chancellor, any hint of her initial reaction was gone and most people wouldn't have noticed a thing, but I know what I saw and the list of questions I have for Attam is only growing "I represent the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, a state beyond the outer rim ruled by my master, Grand Duchess Voytana. We control eleven populated systems and four worlds spread across two of our systems are in danger of a separatist assault. We have a capable military force, both on the ground and above, but Count Dooku has endless swarms of droids. I believe that his intention is to use our uncharted systems as a fall back point should contested worlds like your Felucia and Saleucami fall. Should our worlds fall, the separatists will be able to keep the war going and you wouldn't even know where they're attacking you from."

"Well Lady Attam, I am sorry to hear that the separatists are targeting you. These traitors to the Republic have terrorized the Galaxy for far too long." Chancellor Palpatine seemed sincere, but something was striking me as off "However, you must understand that you are Sith and the Senate will never vote to help the Sith. I know that you have nothing to do with Count Dooku, but there are thousands of Senators and I fear that not nearly enough of them will be able to make that distinction, especially since we do not even know where these battles would be taking place."

"Perhaps revealing your systems would help. All of them." Master Windu proposed, he tried to come off as being helpful, but somehow, I think that he was more concerned with finding where Phanza's Sith faction is than finding out where to send Republic forces to help. I fear that Mace Windu, despite the wishes of the majority of the Jedi Council, still wants to destroy Attam and her fellow Sith. I believe Phanza addressed them as the true Sith.

"I will reveal the four relevant systems only if it will get me the help I need." Phanza was being stubborn, she did not want the Republic knowing about all of Taaszon's systems, though, I did have one question - is she hiding the information from the Jedi Council or from the Chancellor? The Jedi Council has already decided to help her despite Master Windu and Master Mundi's opposition while the Chancellor is at least saying that he is sympathetic to her cause.

"I apologize, my Lady, but I do not think that being secretive is going to change the minds of the Senate." Palpatine argued, now getting more upset, something that even Master Yoda and Master Windu took note of, getting upset was not in the Chancellor's character. In fact, part of why the Jedi Council is weary of him is because the Chancellor acts like an impossibly nice, naive old man while seizing more power. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council is not weary enough to actually resist the Chancellor because we stand for the Republic - or we say we do anyway, as I have already made clear, I find that the priorities of the Jedi are very inconsistent and I feel that even the Jedi Council is divided over our purpose - and that unwillingness to resist is why we find ourselves here. Depending on the wheels of politics while leaving a potential enemy to be ravaged. Sure Taaszon is a Sith state, but, at least in this case, they are innocent. Even the Sith do not deserve to be consumed by the horrors of war, especially not by another, more dangerous faction of Sith.

"Really? Well what will change the minds of the _Senate?_" Phanza Attam asked, emphasizing Senate. Suddenly, I got the feeling that Chancellor Palpatine and our Sith Nautolan were having a very different conversation than the one we were hearing, a conversation that only the two of them would understand. I didn't like this, but I'm not sure whose secrecy was more settling, that of the woman who should be our enemy or the secrecy of the man who should be our ally and our leader. I was uncomfortable around the Chancellor, I believe that there is more to him that we realize and I believe that fact has chilling repercussions for the Republic and for what will happen to us when this war is finally over. I do not want the Clone Wars to end merely for the Jedi Order and the Chancellor to find themselves on opposite sides fighting for the fate of the Republic. The end of the Clone Wars is supposed to bring peace and prosperity back to the galaxy, I do not want to see war and suffering continue, but, between intrigues within the Republic and now the arrival of the Sith, who knows what will happen next?

"Reveal the four planets that the separatists seek to invade to me now and how many troops you have on those planets ready to fight. Give us something to work with and I promise you that the result will be better than if you ask us to blindly join an alliance and open up another front on a war that has already stretched the Grand Army of the Republic and our Jedi friends so thin." Chancellor Palpatine pleaded, now, despite my paranoia, I had to admit, his plea was reasonable. One of his duties as Chancellor is that he is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, therefore, as a military leader, it only makes sense that he understands the military capabilities of his potential allies. Phanza Attam narrowed her eyes even further but I could tel that she was legitimately contemplating this, after all, she didn't exactly have much choice. For a Sith to come to Coruscant, the situation must be pretty desperate.

"Fine." Phanza Attam agreed and the Chancellor activated a projection of the galaxy map, watching eagerly as Phanza Attam circled around the map, looking for the coordinates. She stopped in one spot, far beyond Republic space. She pulled out her own holoprojector and brought up a partial map. Just as she said, this added two systems to our map, containing four populated worlds: two planets in one system and, in the other, a planet and a moon "First, the Imperius system. The relevant worlds here are Imperius Prime, a planet of jungles, volcanoes, and cities, and Kallig, a gas giant with floating cities and mining stations. Then we move on to the New Ziost System. New Ziost is the most populated of these planets with large metropolises built in the valleys between the frigid mountains. Its largest moon, Acina, is covered with blood red dunes but rich settlements along the oases are too important to be lost. We have twelve Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts - along with support craft - to defend these systems, seven of them protecting New Ziost and Acina, three will protect Imperius Prime, leaving only two to protect Kallig. Our Super Dreadnoughts our equivalent to your Venator-class star destroyers."

Phanza Attam clearly knew more about us than we did about her, however, she was at least finally giving us answers. New Ziost was the most important world in these outlying systems and thus it was the most protected, Acina was safe as a result of that, however, in defending New Ziost and Acina properly, they have left Kallig and Imperius Prime vulnerable. It seems to be that our starships should concentrate on Kallig - the floating targets on the planet means that, if the separatists get through, they only have to occupy a few places rather than a whole surface - while our ground forces should concentrate on Imperius Prime, which has a surface to defend, one that sounds fairly similar to Felucia, where Master Avdune and I just served...

"Thank you for your honesty Lady Attam, as a show of trust, I will ensure we aid your world. I will push through an emergency resolution and use this opportunity to approve sending a clone battalion to support your efforts. This way, you won't have to worry about convincing the entire Senate to support your cause." The Chancellor announced, I suppose I should have been happy, we were going to help a potential friend who was in need, but the fact that the Chancellor was using this as an opportunity to grab more power was not good. I know that the Chancellor has giving his word to surrender these powers at the end of this war, but how can we trust him to give up any power if he constantly grabs more? I saw the Chancellor study these systems that Phanza added to his map very close as the Sith and my fellow Jedi left his office. Reluctantly, I turned away and joined them.

"Master Avdune," Mace Windu began addressing my master quietly as we made our way out of the Senate building "You and your Padawan discovered this Sith and have the most experience with her. I want you two and the 1204th Clone Battalion to lead the strike force we send to help the Grand Duchy. Repel the separatists and secure and alliance but do not trust her or any of the other Sith. I feel that there is more going on than she is telling is."

With that, our leave came to an end before it really began and we were off to fight a war once again, but now, at least we were doing what Jedi should be doing - defending a world from blatant aggression rather than besieging one like we had been on Felucia. The fact that these worlds belonged to the Sith should not change our duties. Phanza Attam and her faction do not have to be our enemies.

* * *

"Tell me Zaliza, when you think of these Sith, what do you feel?" Master Avdune asked me as we watched Phanza Attam enter her ship, the red-skinned tattooed Nautolan and her companions launched the _Ultimate_ and the craft left Coruscant. On the speeder ride here Phanza was suddenly more explanatory about her forces, she explained that her ship, the _Ultimate _was a Ravager-class Sith Interceptor, these elite ships were given to the Grand Duchy's Sith as they emerged as independent operatives. This revealed a lot, first of all, it revealed that this faction of Sith, unlike the pretenders, as Phanza called them, did not follow the rule of two, second of all, it revealed that the Grand Duchy had very advanced starship building systems - something made pretty clear by the twelve Super Dreadnoughts as well. Phanza mentioned earlier that her faction was the third largest military in the galaxy, behind only the Republic and the separatists. This meant that her faction was more powerful than the Black Sun, the Hutt Cartel, even the Mandalorians. Perhaps they were not defenseless, but even in being the third biggest military in the galaxy that didn't mean they were anywhere near the level of the Republic or the separatists. An army of soldiers raised from the population of a relatively small number of fringe systems, no matter now militarized, does not equal armies of countless clones or battle droids. They may be ready for a fight, but this is not a fight that they have any hope of winning alone - they need our help.

"I feel compassion master, these are people who need our help. I am well aware that this Grand Duchy is descended from an Empire that waged war against the Republic for centuries eons ago, but now, they are in need of help and we must be there for them. I feel hopeful, hope that this alliance can lead to a dialogue that can bring peace between the Jedi and Sith once and for all, paving the way for reconciliation. And I sense that they are more brave than prideful. Phanza swallowed her pride and had the bravery to face down Jedi and clones alike to get the help she needed." I told Master Avdune, I was being entirely truthful, I trusted Phanza Attam and I trusted her Grand Duchy.

"I am proud of you, my Padawan. Today you have done more for the Jedi way than I have in a very long time. I believe there are somethings you can teach me just as I taught you." Master Avdune smiled at me, her hands on my shoulders. My master is not a perfect woman, perhaps the Clone Wars forced her into the role of training a Padawan before she was ready, but right now, I would not want any other master. Ullara may not see it, but I can only do what I think is right for the Jedi because of the lessons that I learned from her, from Master Yoda, and from all the other Jedi. I hope that this is the beginning of a new chapter, that, from here forward, Master Avdune and I will have a greater understanding of each other. I never want to be as conflicted as I was after Felucia again but, if I ever am, I wanted Master Avdune to be there for me, I want her to finally be able to give me the help I need as a Padawan growing up in such a turbulent time.

* * *

I was laying on my side, once again on my cot aboard the _Sage, _trying to sleep. I was filled with anticipation, curiosity, and dread - I wanted to finally see this Sith Grand Duchy hiding deep in the Outer Rim, I wanted to learn everything I could about it, but, I was scared that trying to learn and try to dig up information would only give me answers I didn't want. I was scared that I would peel away all that Phanza appears to be and find nothing but a hateful plot against the Jedi. I put my faith in Phanza, what if she was lying about the true Sith and all of this was just some plot by Count Dooku? Making up four worlds out of thin air was not necessarily beyond the Count, after all, we can at very least suspect him of deleting Kamino from the Jedi Archives and playing a role in the Battle of Naboo long before becoming the leader of the separatist alliance. Dooku is resourceful and he is intelligent, we can say that he is less ruthless than other Sith - though even then, I'd imagine most of that is the benefit of the doubt from Masters who knew Dooku as a Jedi - but time and time again our understanding of the Sith has been proven wrong. We assumed that they were extinct before Naboo happened and now, we've found that the ancient Sith never really died.

"_The Chancellor is deceiving you." _A voice rung in my head. My eyes flew open and practically ripped apart my room as I searched for a presence, I was panicking. This was not the Jedi way. I calmed myself down and reached out with the Force, no one was here, but a presence was commuting with me through the Force. I strained myself by trying to track it but I couldn't find a location, however, I could find a place. I saw a red-skinned Nautolan meditating at the foot of a lavish bed aboard a Ravager-class Sith Interceptor. Her black and purple robes tightly wound across her body. I was far too focused on keeping Master Avdune and Phanza from killing each other on Coruscant to really take note of this, but the Nautolan was captivating. I had to admit that I thought that, if I ever felt feelings for anyone, it would be a Zeltron boy around my age, probably another Jedi, instead, I could not deny my attraction to a female Nautolan Sith of all things. I shunned these feelings and pushed them away, Jedi are above attachments as, in our way of life, attachments can only lead to pain and suffering.

"You lie." I insisted and Phanza only laughed. I didn't entirely trust my own words, I knew that I had reasons to be suspicious with the Chancellor and I felt that the Jedi Council needs to take more care around him. I don't know if Chancellor Palpatine is a bad man, on one hand, I don't think he is, but, on the other, I don't see a good person pursuing power in the same way, but I think that we need to know more about him. A man is coming closer to bringing the Republic under autocratic rule than the Sith ever did and we are idly standing by. I do not think that this is right.

"_No, you are the liar here. You are paranoid about your very own Chancellor and our allegiance to the Republic makes you scared to admit it. You must act Zaliza, strike down the Chancellor while there is still a Senate to protect." _I gasped, Phanza Attam was trying to turn me over, that must be why her eyes rested on me when she first arrived on Coruscant. Phanza Attam has already pegged me as her future apprentice. I would not turn against the Jedi, I shall stand with the Jedi Order and the Republic regardless of my trust for Phanza. Trust that she is testing by trying to turn me over to the Dark Side.

"If that is true, then the Jedi Council will deal with it, not me. It is not my place." I retorted, my mind does not allow me to conclusively deny that Chancellor Palpatine is more than he appears to be, but that is not my place. The Jedi Council will decide whether or not the Chancellor is suspicious and they will act appropriately based on their decision. There is nothing to fear from an old politician, regardless of how power hungry, shrewd, and secretive he may be.

"_Ah...but the Jedi Council is deceiving you too." _ Phanza Attam laughed like a harpy as she told me terrible lies about the people who should be my closest allies. I cannot believe that I am legitimately listening to a Sith spread lies and deceptions about my Chancellor and my Council, a council which includes Master Yoda, the man I trained under as a youngling.

"The Jedi Council is not deceiving anyone. You are spreading terrible lies to spread dissent. I plead for you to stop Lady Attam, please stop this. Continuing on this path will only turn the other Jedi against you. I have fought hard to get the Jedi to help you, harder than you know." It was true, I really did and I didn't want her to throw this all away because I wanted to believe that Phanza really was a good person in need of help that just so happened to be a Sith.

"_You are perceptive. But know this - horrifying truths are far better at spreading dissent than unbelievable lies." _With that final, ominous warning, Phanza Attam left my dreams, allowing me to peacefully rest...in theory. In truth, her words left me in thought and fear.

* * *

Wow, I had not been expecting to get two chapters done in time for sunday posting along with chapter twenty-three of The Legacy of The Romans. This has been a productive week for me between this, going through the later half of Rebels, and seeing Rise of Skywalker. I am fully in my Star Wars element and I hope that you are too.


	3. In The Defense of The Sith

Alright guys, this is chapter three and from here on out updates will occur every other sunday. Just a reminder that last weekend's double upload was not normal, I simply managed to get two chapters done in time, I don't regularly, though, on the flip side, I do have a single chapter on the long side for you guys this weekend. Anyway, all that business stuff is out of the way, let's get to Ullara Avdune and Zaliza Vyvan joining Phanza Attam and the forces of the Sith Grand Duchy of Taaszon as they defend against the separatists and their invasion.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter III.

In The Defense of The Sith.

* * *

I felt conflicted.

I knew that I should have told Master Avdune about Phanza trying to corrupt me through the Force. I was well aware that this was clearly an attempt to turn me over to the Dark Side as a member of the Sith. I felt uncomfortable and betrayed that I put so much time into getting Master Avdune and the Jedi Council to see the Grand Duchy of Taaszon as a state in need rather than a Sith state only for their representative to spit in the face of my trust by immediately doing what all Sith do. At the same time, I knew that revealing this would only lead to more conflict. Master Avdune, out of well-intended concern for my, would report this incident to the Jedi Council and the Chancellor and this whole alliance would be torn up as a result, all because of Phanza's own selfish actions. I suppose that she would deserve it too, but I did not think that her actions condemned her entire people. Perhaps all of these Sith from Taaszon really were like her, but no one deserves to be massacred by hordes of battle droids - not to mention the fact that, as Phanza pointed out, the last thing we needed was for the separatists to discover bases beyond known space - we do know where the two systems Phanza revealed are, but we don't know how much the separatists know. Ultimately, I still wanted to help both for moral and pragmatic reasons, therefore, I decided that I couldn't tell Master Avdune or anyone else about Phanza trying to tempt me to the Dark Side. I tried not to think of her lies about the Chancellor and the Jedi Council deceiving me, after all, they were just lies. They had to be.

"Are you alright Commander?" Warlock asked as I almost literally ran into him in one of the hallways of the _Sage._ I was walking around aimlessly, not wanting to spend any more time in my quarters than I had to after being harassed by a Sith there. I came to my senses as I realized that I had gotten to the clones' quarters, standing in the corridor separating their rooms from the mess hall. Venator-class star destroyers were massive, triangular craft with a long hanger section along the central length. I wondered if anyone ever explored the full interior of a ship like this. I don't think that the Jedi have, in fact, I don't think we've ever fully investigated the situation with the Clone Army to begin with, effectively, we got an army of millions of adult clones, star destroyers, gunships, tanks, and weapons of all levels of warfare out of thin air and, along with them, a new planet joined the Republic. The fact that the Clone Wars began the moment the clones were deployed in battle doesn't help, we never got the chance to look back and analyze all of this. I trust Commander Warlock and his squadron with my life, but they age twice as fast as a regular human would and I know that the math simply does not add up, the Clones, the fleets, all of it came long before there was any actual need for them and the Jedi allegedly responsible is dead. These men are perfect companions for the Jedi, but their origins are highly dubious. The fact that Chancellor Palpatine gave himself the power to commission an army just before the Grand Army of the Republic arrived suggested he knew more about it than he let on, so perhaps he was less than truthful with us, but Phanza implied a greater deception, making her statement a half-truth at best.

"Yes Commander, my apologies, I was distracted." I admitted meekly. I was lost in my own head over the messages Phanza sent me, I was playing exactly into her hands. Phanza Attam was a smart woman and she knew that I was not going to turn to the Dark Side easily, however, by telling me these lies, she has made me paranoid of my own allies, laying the seeds for a barrier between myself and the people I should hold closest to me - my fellow Jedi and our allies in the Republic. I was conscious of what she was doing but I was made even more miserable by the fact that I didn't have a way of fighting that without potentially leaving eleven systems at the mercy of the separatists. I sighed, Phanza may have her schemes but for now it is best to keep my eyes on the true enemy - Count Dooku, General Grievous, and their separatist droid armies - rather than trying to create a new one in the form of Taaszon.

"Very well Commander Vyvan. General Avdune has requested your presence on the bridge." The purple clad clone trooper revealed, his helmet in his arm, revealing his bald head and the lightning bolt tattoos on his temples, mirroring their placement on the helmet. We walked together to the lifts. I could talk to Commander Warlock without worrying about ancient feuds between Jedi and Sith, he knows that the separatists are our enemies, Taaszon is at least an ally temporarily, and that the Republic is the home we shall defend to the last man, beyond that, the rest was merely interesting facts. Warlock, just like the other clones, was designed to think of battles first and foremost, he is bred to be preoccupied with whether someone is a friend or a foe first and foremost, the rest is secondary to that. The Force was something no clone would ever experience and they had to be glad that almost all Force users were on our side and, because of that, they don't know much about the Jedi and the Sith other than the former is their ally and that the latter is our eternal enemy.

I couldn't imagine being a being bred for warfare, I never wanted these horrors to become mundane. Truth be told, as much as I wanted to help the people of Taaszon, in any other scenario I would have rather been in my quarters on Coruscant than heading into battle. The fact that we were protecting eleven systems from the scourge of the Clone Wars and potentially reconciling with an ancient enemy kept me going even though I knew that Imperius Prime was just going to be another Felucia. I sighed, it was going to be tough but we got through Felucia and we'll get through this. I turned to Commander Warlock, with men like him at my side, I knew that I would survive Imperius Prime and that we would save this world. But what would happen if the clones and I had to depend on their world to save us? We were willing to put aside our feud with the Sith to save them but would the Sith do the same for us?

"Master Avdune," I bowed while Commander Warlock saluted her, we gathered around the holoprojector at the rear of the bridge. I glanced over down the cockpit to see the light of stars and planets distorted into the blue patterns of hyperspace. We were still on route to Imperius Prime but I suspected I was here because we were about to reach the planet. My suspicions were revealed to be correct when Master Avdune summoned a projection of the planet. The world was a very active one with geothermal activity resulting in volcanic activity all over the surface, bringing warmth. Rivers of lava were surrounded with jungles or cities, providing warmth and power to an otherwise frigid world. Ice, jungles, and lava - Imperius Prime seemed to be a bizarre world but in a galaxy of diverse and exotic worlds, it didn't stick out too much. The world was surrounded by a series of rings, this gave an element of depth to the three Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts and their support ships protecting the world.

"The _Sage, _the _Tython,_ and the _Coruscant Temple_ will join the space battle over the gas giant Kallig, but before then, they will drop us off over Imperius Prime. We shall take gunships down to the surface and join the Taaszon forces against the separatists. Their fleet should repel the separatist ships over the world but, even if they don't, we have the cover of the rings. Separated from their air support and facing both our clones and the Sith forces, the droids should be pretty straightforward to eliminate." Master Avdune explained, it did indeed seem like it was going to be an easy victory, easier that Felucia perhaps, however, the fact that the Sith, a faction that has always been known for arrogance, does not believe that it can defeat these droids alone. That makes me weary, there has to be something that we're not seeing, the separatists must have greater numbers that we're anticipating for the Grand Duchy of Taaszon to call for aid. I turned away from the holoprojection and turned towards the cockpit window. My instincts told me there was something more to this and I wanted to see the space battle over Imperius Prime with my own eyes rather than judging based on estimations. Perhaps this invasion represented a greater Sith feud rather than just a straightforward invasion. I didn't know, but there was something going on here that we weren't privy to yet.

We emerged out of hyperspace to find three black triangular Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts with a hanger in the center - the split design made the whole craft appear like a much larger version of a Jedi Interceptor, but there was more than a passing resemblance to our Venator-class star destroyers as well - I wanted to assume that this was coincidental but that seemed like quite a bit of a coincidence. In any case, these Super Dreadnoughts were supported by smaller triangular ships called Despotate-class Destroyers, with five destroyers for every Super Dreadnought. This was a rather impressive fleet but, much like I had predicted, the separatist fleet was impressive too. I counted two Providence-class Dreadnoughts, six Munificent-class frigates, and four Lucrehulk-class battle stations. This was far more than we were expecting - we had been expecting perhaps three Munificent-class ships and a couple of Lucrehulk stations, but this was indeed more than a regular invasion fleet. Count Dooku...or perhaps his mysterious Sith master, had been playing on massacring the so-called true Sith for a long, long time before this. Something tells me that these Sith were a loose end that had to be taken care of before a massive separatist strike to end the stalemate of the war. Now, more than ever, we had to ensure a Sith victory, if for no other reason than to spoil separatist plans against us.

"Phanza has not been entirely honest with us." Master Avdune said, the Mirialan narrowing her green eyes ever so slightly. I raised an eyebrow at her, asking a silent question. If Ullara was referring to the greater separatist numbers, then I can't blame Phanza Attam for that, this war would have gone a lot more smoothly for us if we could predict separatist numbers in advance. However, the answer began clear when the Sith fleet unleashed its arsenal. Purple laser blasts filled the skies as the Super Dreadnoughts opened fire, next, they opened their hangers. The main hanger at the center and the two smaller hangers on either side unleashed an armada of ships. Lead by Ravager-class Sith Interceptors came Bisector-class Starfighters, Devastator-class Super Starfighters and Terminator-class Bombers. Between the barrage of purple laser, the armada of ships, and the cover provided by the planetary rings, the Sith fleet clearly had the advantage. This was a show of force on their part as much as it was on the separatists. Nevertheless, the separatists had more ships and thus, once the shock of how powerful these Super Dreadnoughts were wore off, the separatist fleet fought back. Our fleet was not needed here, they would continue on to Kallig with the knowledge that the Venator-class ships were not equivalent to these Sith ships as Phanza had assured us, meanwhile, we would go to the surface to see how the Sith forces fare on land. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon did not have the numbers to face the Republic or the separatists, but they had deadly technology to narrow the odds and they were using this war as an opportunity to show that off to the galaxy. Master Avdune was right, Phanza was not entirely honest with us.

"No, she has not." I admitted, now increasingly skeptical about the trust I put into the Nautolan who has called in Republic resources for a fight at the edge of the galaxy, a fight that we question if they even needed help with. This came after the Nautolan had already tried to tempt me to the Dark Side. I had a bad feeling about this...this all seemed like an elaborate ruse to mark the return of the true Sith.

* * *

The situation on the ground was hellish. Snow fell on our gunships from above while the heat from the lava below scorched their underbellies. The heat powered the planet's cities and allowed for the jungles to exist, but it also produced a hellish theater of warfare. The jungles eventually gave way to reveal a battlefield, all the trees and plants had been blasted away by the droids and the Sith forces fighting it out. Our help would end the stalemate...eventually, but, in doing so, we would only cause more damage and scar more of this once beautiful jungle on a planet that is otherwise frigid snow and ice juxtaposed with deadly hot lava. The LAAT gunship touched down and our AT-TE walkers joined the tanks of Taaszon. Ullara activated her green lightsaber and both of my purple blades sprung into life as we leaped into battle, joining the various red, purple, orange, and yellow blades of the Sith.

Phanza Attam was leading the battle, launching red Force lightning from her fingertips while blocking lasers with her curved-hilt red lightsaber with its black core. The exotic weapon matched her features as she fought ferociously, the apprentice of this Grand Duchess Voytana herself - I wondered how much Phanza knew of her master's intentions, I knew that it was our duty as Jedi for Master Avdune and I to learn as much as possible about this faction. Thus far, all that we have learned presents them as far more of a threat than Phanza implied, this third strongest faction in the galaxy was not nearly as behind us as we had been expecting. Their population was clearly their only limiting factor, something confirmed even more as one of their Ballista-class Heavy Battle Tanks exploded the droid's battle lines. Phanza Attam took this opportunity to order an attack and Master Avdune ordered us and the clones to follow her. Purple and blue lasers on one side were exchanged with red lasers from the other side before lightsabers arrived to turn the tide.

I found myself fighting alongside Ruumshi, the orange-skinned Zabrak guard with her electrostaff, as we tore into the separatist lines. I swept the feet off of a Super Battle Droid before smashing it with a Force-amplified kick to the head. I then came around and swung the lower blade of my weapon across a number of B1 Battle Droids, allowing me to come face-to-face with another B2. I was about to rip the Super Battle Droid apart when I saw it get electrocuted. The droid fell over, revealing Ruumshi and her weapon. The Zabrak did indeed fight well and I suspected that, if she had the Force, she would fight with a double-bladed lightsaber just like I did. Shame that being born outside of known space has made her a victim of the Sith.

The two of us turned our attention to one of the last remaining AAT separatist tanks - our walkers and the Sith tanks had done a good job at thinning their numbers but this one was cowardly, hiding behind the wreckage of the others that had been in the first line.

"I got you covered Commander! Take them down!" Warden yelled as he sprayed the droids in the area down with his rotary cannon. This gave Ruumshi and I the opportunity to take down the tank. I sliced through the hover floor of the tank with one of my purple blades before disarming the droid tank with the other blade. I sliced its barrel in half and left it immobile with two moves, allowing Ruumshi to force open the top hatch and electrocute the droids inside. The AAT was done, but there were many, many more separatists to deal with. Ruumshi pounced at the droids from up above and I jumped over the wreckage we created to join her. Spinning my saberstaff as I landed to decapitate a number of B1 battle droids. Warden body-slammed a droid before throwing his overheating rotary cannon at the next, fighting with dual pistols while waiting for his primary weapon to cool back down. Fortunately for him, the all too familiar arc of a number of droid poppers signaled the arrival of Wishlist and the others. Wishlist ran over to Warden and handed him a can of coolant spray that he decided to carry into battle simply because he could while Warlock, Williams, Winch, and Witchcraft covered him, using the tank as cover. They advanced as a squadron of Sith soldiers joined them in using the tank wreckage as cover - even the clone troopers were wary around these Sith.

The droids responded by calling in their heavier units - droidekas and crab droids joined the battle - they were growing desperate. The droids knew that they were separated from their starships and, by now, were outnumbered. Battle droids are cheap and individually useless, the whole point of these droids is to overwhelm us with great numbers. B1s were to be the mass produced cannon fodder while B2s, destroyer droids, and commando droids were the real hard hitting units of the separatist army. These heavier units added depth to the conflict, but they would not change the fate of this battle.

Wishlist threw two flares into the crowd of droids, distracting them. This cleared the way for Warden to provide covering fire which in turn allowed for Winch and Williams to strike the crab droids from above where their armor was weakest, meanwhile, Wishlist and Warlock got to work on the droids. Wishlist handed his Commander a droid popper and they each gently rolled the EMP grenades into the droideka's shields, allowing them to be electrocuted. Winch was about to scale the final crab droid and take it down when Witchcraft sniped it dead. The clones were a loyal squadron and they did their job like no other, I was proud to serve alongside them, even if the reality of war means that any of us can die at any moment.

"Reinforcements incoming!" Witchcraft warned as another group of AAT hover tanks crossed a stream of lava. The lava had the side-effect of super-heating the metal of the droid tanks. The droids knew that there was no retreat and it seems that there is a tactical droid here ordering them to inflict as many casualties as possible no matter the cost as those tanks would never be usable again, however, due to being literally red hot from hovering over the lava, we would not be able to scale them as we had previously. The way I saw it, we had two options - the first was to hope that we still had enough tank shells or grenades left over from the infantry battle to take them out from a distance or wait them out until the heat burns through them. I came out of cover and blocked as many lasers as possible with my double-bladed lightsaber to buy us as much time as possible, however, in the corner of my eye, I could see that Phanza marched out of cover as well. I watched the Sith as well as I could while still deflecting the lasers.

The red-skinned, black-tattooed Nautolan raised a single hand once again and unleashed that red Force lightning. This time, however, the effect was far, far more spectacular. The first tank she hit was electrocuted and it shorted out, but that wasn't the end - she chained her lightning from tank to tank until all of the separatist reinforcement tanks were shorted out and done for. One in move, she had done the impossible. I didn't know whether I should be awed or terrified but I didn't exactly have the chance to contemplate it as we charged at the separatist infantry. I rose a hand as I was running and Force pushed a number of B1 battle droids back into the lava, there they were melted down by extended exposure to the heat. Jedi and Sith alike deflected bolts, struck with the Force, and cut down droids, clones and Sith infantry alike blasted their ranks to pieces, and, together, our combined forces repelled the suicidal droid attack.I took a deep breath before sitting back and pulling my knees close to my chest, trying to ignore the death all around me and trying to block out the presence of so many Dark Side users near me - yes they needed help and I wanted to help them, but, to a Jedi, their presence was downright toxic in the Force if they weren't concealing their power. I felt vulnerable to temptation, seduction, and calls for violence. Anxiety and fear ate away at my Jedi calmness and serenity. I was on the side of Phanza and her Sith, but she and her allies were making it harder and harder to support her...perhaps Master Avdune had been right all along.

* * *

"I have found three distinct factions within the Sith infantry itself. The first faction being conscripts, mainly humans but some aliens too, these troops where purple and black armor fairly similar to our clone troopers - an aside, but i think that the similarities in the armor and in the starships suggest that the Sith must have spies within our military industrial complex...perhaps a talk with the Kaminoans is in order. Anyway, the second faction is made up of the Chiss infantry. These blue-skinned, red-eyed aliens form more than a third of the population of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon as a whole and receive some special privileges, one being maintaining their own army. These Chiss units wear white armor with black and purple as secondary colors, additionally, their helmets are open faced. The final faction consists of Mandalorians. These Mandalorians have no stake in the civil war, they had been here in Taaszon for centuries. Their armor varies quite a bit but silver, blue, and red seem to be the most common colors. The Sith infantry is often supported by heavy droids but it seems that the Mandalorians and the Chiss both have a distaste for droids." Master Avdune reported to the Jedi Council, we had given all the information we had, starting with the Sith itself before moving on to their starships and other vehicles before finally ending up on the infantry. I remained silent, having reported all my observations to Ullara beforehand - I've done enough speaking before the Jedi Council lately to last a lifetime...with my social skills, once is already too much.

"Thank you Master Avdune, the more we know about these Sith, the less likely they are to catch us by surprise." Master Windu replied, his mind was still focused on fighting the Sith. In my silence, I had been being quite observant, Master Yoda seemed to disapprove of how belligerent Master Windu was being but the elder Jedi did not object, in fact, he did not say anything. I did not believe that Master Yoda would deceive me and I wish that I could say the same thing about Master Windu. In any case, I would not let one man ruin my view on the entire Jedi Council, especially not because of the insistence of a single Sith. Phanza Attam wants me to distrust the Jedi Council and by even thinking about this, I'm letting her win...unfortunately, I can't quite shake those thoughts.

"Have anything to say, do you Padawan?" Master Yoda finally asked me, curious as to me opinion. Once again, the part of me that was loyal to the Jedi Order wanted to reveal that Phanza Attam had tried to tempt me to the Dark Side, part of me wanted to mention that I was unsettled by all the Dark Side energy here, and part of me did think that these Sith were downright evil and perhaps more dangerous than those supporting the separatists. I didn't do it though, I did not want to see the Jedi Order descend on these worlds to purge the Sith who asked us for help - they were not good people, that much was clear, however, the Jedi will be going down a dark path themselves if we open up another theater of war, one not in defense of the Republic but against a state whose only crime was being Sith. I suppose that there are indeed hints of espionage and their militarization suggests that they may be gearing up for a campaign against the Republic, but we would be the aggressors. A preemptive strike, no matter how justified, is not the Jedi way. To attack these Sith is to betray our principles and I believe it is my duty as a Jedi to do everything that I can to preserve our final shred of being keepers of the peace.

"Nothing more Master Yoda, I reported all my observations to Master Avdune beforehand." I explained away, sticking with my story. Master Yoda grunted in reply, seemingly not believing me but at the same time not raising the issue. I'm sure that Master Yoda would like to discuss many things with me, but that would have to wait until we are in the privacy of the Jedi Temple together...and who knows how long it may be until both of us are in that same place at the same time in this wretched, seemingly endless war.

"Very well then. Master Avdune, Padawan Vyvan, keep us informed." Master Windu announced before ending the holocall. I let out a relieved exhale as Master Avdune turned to me, concern evident in her green eyes. Wordlessly, she ushered me along with her. We walked a fair distance away from the Republic camp and ended up on a peaceful hill side. The jungle rose back up behind us as the clearing ending, two streams of lava flanked the camp on either side - one of those streams had a shielded bridge over it, uniting our camp with the larger Sith camp, though nobody dared be the first one to actually cross that bridge - and, above us, snow fell before melting due to the geothermal heat radiating off of the lava streams. Far in the distance I could see snowy terrain where lava did not flow. Fascinating how something as destructive as lava gave life to this planet. Life that was not yet contaminated by the Dark Side - Imperius Prime may be a Sith world but the dark presence of the Sith sticks out even here...and perhaps it always will.

Ullara and I sat down on this hill and we meditated for awhile, much like Jedi often did together. She reached out with the Force and her light presence was a soothing force here, she was almost enough to drown out the presence of so many Sith so close by. The rule of two was Sith law for centuries as far as the Jedi knew, but these Sith clearly did not follow it and having so many toxic figures not even attempting to mask themselves had a negative effect on a pair of light side users, however, thanks to peace, serenity, and calmness, our meditation grounded us in the light. We received a temporary clarity and peace of mind that would be gone all too soon, but, as long as it was here, Master Avdune and I would both feel better.

"I am here to help you Zaliza, all you must do is ask." Ullara quietly assured me as we exited our meditation - I managed to calm myself down, but while meditating together, for that moment after my master had achieved inner peace and before I did, my troubles read clear as day within the Force. I knew that Master Avdune had good intentions but I didn't think that she could help me, she was only so much more experienced than me and she had only so much wisdom, she has taught me everything that she knows but I don't know if she has anything more for me. I love her as a person and I am honored to have learned under her, but right now, she's not the kind of master I need and that's not her fault. The Jedi could not possibly be prepared for the ancient Sith of all people to make a return and for one of them to take a direct interest in me, unfortunately, Phanza seems perfectly suited towards corrupting a Jedi and there is nothing that I can do to fight that. Pleas for help would merely doom the people of Taaszon and the Jedi alike while I would never get the help that I actually needed.

"I know master, I know." I quietly admitted to her while torn apart by mental turmoil. All I wanted was for the Jedi Order to help the people of Taaszon repel the separatists, perhaps that could lead to some sort of dialogue between the Jedi and the Sith, but instead, I've found myself questioning my Order, questioning my Republic, and, all the while, I have no way of helping myself escape from the influence of Phanza Attam and the Dark Side without basically incriminating her because I cannot trust the Jedi Council to differentiate between me asking for helping and me putting the Sith on trial. I don't care that Phanza Attam is trying to corrupt me to the Dark Side as long as I can put her lies to rest and receive motivation on the Light Side of the Force, but the more belligerent elements of the Jedi Council will use this as the bait they've been looking for to pounce on these Sith. I shook my head and tried to focus on the here and now, once again assuring myself that there is no way that the Jedi of the Republic would be deceiving me. Perhaps Master Windu was somewhat hypocritical and belligerent, perhaps Chancellor Palpatine was power-hungry, but that is no reason to doubt the Order and the Republic that I've devoted my life to.

* * *

Phanza Attam sat meditating in front of the _Ultimate _while her companions quietly went about their business. They were nominally here to protect her, however, after the stint she pulled against those separatist tanks, I'm not sure if she needed much help. Ruumshi, the orange-skinned bald Zabrak who fought alongside me during a brief period of the battle, shot me a soft smile while she and Avoine, her human counterpart, sparred with deactivated electrostaffs. Ceyla Ordo, the silver and black armored Mandalorian was seemingly making adjustments to her wrist mounted gauntlet - adjustments that coincidentally lined up her flamethrower with my Master and I - the Mandalorian was not going to strike at us unless given the word, but she was more than capable of inflicting massive destruction at the drop of a hat. Finally, the protocol droid, HK-107 ominously watched over our arrival, as if he was more than capable of taking on a Jedi. These warriors were certainly more at ease now that we were meeting on their territory, albeit territory under separatist assault.

"Welcome Jedi." The Nautolan opened her large glossy black eyes and flashed a pleasant smile, a beautiful smile on a beautiful face, but that face was attached to an awful person. Her skin was a slightly different shade of red than mine and the purple of my eyes was closer to the glowing color of my lightsaber rather than the darker purple of her black and purple robes, but I was not one to overlook the fact that my own complexion and my choice in lightsaber matched the color of this Sith faction. I know that it meant nothing, I know that I should be above mere aesthetic nonsense, but now that I've seen it, I cannot unsee it. Perhaps I could hope that Phanza Attam was just targeting me out of aesthetic similarities and that there was nothing more drawing her to converting me, however, the fact that she specifically targeted my grievances with the Jedi Order and the Republic suggests that there is more to this. At this stage, I could not discount the possibility that, somehow, these ancient Sith from the Grand Duchy of Taaszon have been spying on me. It would make sense, the similarities between Republic vessels and their Sith vessels is indicative of a strong possibility of espionage - however, inside, I knew that there was more to this than mere spying.

"Lady Attam...you called us here." Master Avdune replied, it wasn't a question. Ullara and Phanza were clearly not getting along but given that my master's suspicions about Phanza turned out to be more true than not, I was no longer going to fight this. As long as my master does not start an actual fight against Phanza or ends up compromising our mission to help them. The tension was thick but it deserved to be thick - whether Master Avdune knew it or not, Phanza wanted to rob her of her position as my master and turn me to the Dark Side, I knew that, Phanza knew that, and Ullara was at least suspicious of it. I was uncomfortable, Lady Attam was strong with the Dark Side but I could feel an almost invisible streak of it within Ullara as well - she was kept in check by her own Jedi conditioning, however, the primal part of her personality wanted to strike down Phanza right now and prevent the fall - despite the fact that Phanza would no doubt fight back along with her companions and, even if we did somehow win that fight, we'd have started a war while on enemy territory. I shook my head, there would be no battle, a Jedi must be above her base instincts and while there was a violent want within her, Ullara was not actually going to do anything about that. As young as my master is, she's still a model Jedi.

"Yes, I did." Lady Attam stood up and smirked right in Ullara's face, trying to provoke her. Master Avdune stood her ground and did not fall to her violent temptation - she was a Jedi and Jedi are not the ones to start fights - in any case, Phanza continued once she was done trying to rile my master up "You two shall join me on a mission to Acina while your clones, under their own commanders, crush the separatist positions to the west of Zavros City. My forces will strike to the east, so you don't have to worry your little head about us being a bad influence and those troops of yours."

Phanza wanted us to board the _Ultimate _and journey to Acina, the moon of New Ziost. We would be alone with her while the bulk of our forces would remain here where they were needed. I didn't like that we were leaving behind our clones, however, I understood what Phanza was trying to accomplish. She would frame this as an opportunity to build trust between the Republic and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, meanwhile, I imagine that she'll take the opportunity to continue and try and corrupt me to the Dark Side. She was more than capable of arbitrarily picking two Sith to do this mission with her, however, we could use this to our advantage just like Phanza would try and use this to her own advantage. Phanza Attam told us that she is apprentice to Grand Duchess Voytana herself - this mission is our best chance at learning about the leadership of this Grand Duchy - we shall learn how the government works, perhaps how centralized authority is, and maybe learn more about Voytana herself. We would have to board a Sith vessel alone and outnumbered to do this, but I don't think that Phanza is going to harm us. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon is not weak, but they are not quite strong enough to fight the Republic alone; they need this alliance - I'd imagine that they intend to conquer separatist worlds to increase their power base using this alliance - and she wants to turn me into her apprentice. Master Avdune and I are too important for the Sith to kill, that ensures our safety.

I turned to my master and wondered what she was thinking. She had crossed her arms and her expression was clearly suspicious, however, she did not reply - that was a good sign, that meant that Master Avdune was actually thinking about it - my assumption is that her main problems were leaving the clones behind and boarding a Sith vessel, the same problems that I had been juggling with. That was a good sign as well, that meant that she would likely reach the same conclusion as I did, that we were too important to be disturbed. I tried to tip the scales by giving off encouraging thoughts and silently telling Master Avdune to do this, but I had no idea whether or not this actually had any effect on her, nevertheless, she did eventually see reason and either came to the same conclusion as I did independently or bended to my silent pleas. We would board this Ravager-class Sith Interceptor and journey to Acina in hopes of learning more about this Sith state.

"Alright Lady Attam, lets go save your people." Master Avdune promised, the two women shook hands and we boarded the _Ultimate. _

* * *

The entrance ramp of the _Ultimate _lead to a hallway which in turn opened up to a large central chamber. It was an octagonal chamber centered around a full-sized holoprojector. To the left and right were engine rooms along the swept forward wings. The large cockpit was directly ahead but staircases on either side lead down to the long nose of this ship. Master Avdune and I would later learn that down there was the captain's bedroom, the crew quarters, and other personal rooms. Behind the holoprojector room was the cargo hold and, beyond that, the final and main engine room, one that included the hyperdrive itself. On the outside the ship may have a superficial resemblance to a Naboo ship - appearing like a more aggressive, angular, and militarized version of one - but the inside was configured very differently. I suppose this could be explained away as mere coincidence, however, the resemblance between Sith starships and Republic ones overall is shocking and I fear that the whole incident can not be explained away so easily.

The Sith are clearly spying on us, that is an established fact, after all, they know all about the Republic and the separatists while we are only just now learning about them with the separatists seemingly only knowing a bit more. The separatists may not know much, however, their fleet over the world and the fact that the Sith called us for help suggests that the separatists not only want their worlds for strategic reasons but that they also want to exterminate this Sith civilization. These Sith are not allied with Count Dooku and his master - the so-called pretenders - and Sith feuds are hardly unheard of. It has been awhile since I've gone through the Jedi Archival data on the ancient Sith but this would hardly be the first time one faction of Sith has utterly destroyed another - in fact there are numerous instances where Sith infighting allowed numerically and strategically inferior Sith forces to overpower Republic forces. So, a case of Sith infighting this may be, however, even that answer didn't entirely sit well with me, I wanted more than just my assumptions, I wanted to find out anything and everything I can about the Grand Duchy of Taaszon and I wanted to ensure galactic peace, preferably by reaching a conciliation with the Sith and bringing them back to the Light, though I'll settle for a peaceful coexistence - of course, most people, Jedi or Sith, would dismiss that as completely impossible, but I would argue that it is our duty as Jedi to at least try.

My master went towards the cockpit to try and discreetly raid the navicomputer for information about the Grand Duchy of Taaszon while I went into the cargo hold to get to the rear engine room - the idea was that she would try and get information off of the navigational systems while I would check the hyperdrive directly for clues - we were hoping to find the other systems ruled by Voytana and her Sith.

I slipped into the cargo hold and was about to head into the rear engine room when I heard Phanza Attam talking with Ceyla, that Echani Mandalorian woman. Realizing that they were heading this way, I pretended to focus on a large stone tablet written in what I could only assume was the ancient tongue of the Sith. I wouldn't be able to get to the hyperdrive, but at least I could distract our Sith would-be allies long enough for Master Avdune to do her job. The tablet was not the only object in this cargo hold - I counted at least five Sith holocrons throughout the room, a locker filled with various weapons - blasters and melee weapons alike, and various crates of supplies, however, the tablet was the one that it made the most sense for me to be looking at, especially since Phanza Attam believes that I am susceptible to the Dark Side. I will use her own desires to corrupt me to buy my master time to score a victory, however small, for the Light Side of the Force. I heard two pairs of feet enter the room and from the corner of my eyes I saw Phanza Attam come up to me on my left while Ceyla positioned herself to my right, between me and that weapons closet - we were not enemies, but both the Mandalorians and the servants of the Sith have fought Jedi and the Republic for millennia, it is in her blood to be paranoid around Jedi and it is in her nature to want to kill me. I did not like it, however, I could understand it.

"Ah, I see our little Jedi friend is a snoopy one, is she not Ceyla?" Phanza Attam seemed playful in a somewhat psychotic and rather unsettling way, in any case, I doubted that she was actually going to hurt me at all. Ceyla, the coming together of two great warrior cultures in the form of the Echani and the Mandalorians, to her credit, merely grunted in reply, not wishing to play along, I, however, did by feigning embarrassment. I'm not sure how convincing my acting was but it was enough to get Lady Attam to continue on her mockery "Well well well, if you must know, this tablet comes from The Tomb of Marka Ragnos on the ancestral Sith world of Korriban. This tablet tells the Sith Code...listen closely Jedi. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken! The Force shall set us free!"

"How could you possibly say that peace is a lie?" I scoffed, only a being that lives and breaths for warfare, carnage, and slaughter would be so foolish, so callous as to dismiss the very concept of peace! Peace existed for centuries before the Sith returned during the Invasion of Naboo and since their return they have destroyed the peace and plunged the galaxy into suffering. It is the fault of the so-called pretender Count Dooku and his master that the Jedi have fallen from keepers of the peace to warriors, it is the fault of the Sith that I must leap into battle everyday and shrug off the deaths of countless of my clone friends, and despite all that, a Sith, albeit one innocent in this particular case, has the nerve to tell me that peace is a lie? Peace is only a lie because the Sith insist on making it a lie!

"There is no such thing, little Jedi. The Republic strongarms worlds into joining them and the Jedi not only let it happen but actively support it, the Republic dismisses worlds with actual grievances who wish for independence as separatists, and all the while, all across the galaxy, even on your so-called core worlds of Corellia and Coruscant, crime wars rage on and on. You claim to be a peacekeeper but you cannot even ensure peace in the lower levels of the very planet where your temple sits. So tell me, is peace really a lie after all?" Phanza Attam challenged me. I gulped, these weren't lies, these were terrifying truths...and if this was the truth, could I truly deny that the Republic and the Jedi were deceiving me?

I shook my head and left the cargo hold while the red-skinned Nautolan sorceress smirked...I had to hope that Master Avdune had better luck with the navigational charts, because I went to the back of the ship hoping to secure a victory for the Light Side...instead, it feels like the Dark Side has only gotten stronger.

* * *

Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed these three first chapters in a two week period but from here on out we're going to a biweekly update schedule. Next weekend I shall post chapter twenty-four of my Europa Universalis fanfiction Legacy of the Romans and only the week after that will I return to this story. I will be posting the first ten chapters of this story all in a row and then I will decide whether to post chapter eleven of this or chapter six of my Old Republic story The Armored of Berserkers which is about a Sith Juggernaut. Let me know what you want!

Ciao!


	4. Mysteries of The Unknown

Hello everyone! This is the first chapter I'm writing while back to school but I am working hard to make sure there isn't any sort of drop in quality or length. However, the flip side is that you shouldn't expect any double-uploads or particularly long chapters - as in something in the ten thousand word range - in the coming weeks. If I do manage, great! Anyway, as I said, I am committed to regular, quality chapters in the 5-8 thousand word range, basically, the 8k word chapter three from two weeks ago and this are normal, the chapter 1 and 2 double upload before that was abnormal. With all that business-y stuff out of the way, lets get into some damn Star Wars!

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter IV.

Mysteries of The Unknown.

* * *

"Lady Attam and Ceyla, her Mandalorian ally, caught me before I could get to their hyperdrive." I admitted to my master as we spoke in hushed tones in our shared bedroom on board the _Ultimate._ We did not know if we were being spied on, but, considering everything else that's happened so far, we would hardly be surprised. It is clear that The Republic does not trust Taaszon and that they don't trust us.

"I didn't have any luck either. I got to the cockpit but that protocol droid was watching me, eerily." Master Avdune didn't have any look either. This HK-107 was definitely more than just a protocol droid, the fact that he was armed was a testament to that. I haven't even heard him speak yet, though I expected that whatever that droid says, I wouldn't want to hear it anyway.

"Ceyla is a warrior through and through, I can see in her mannerisms that she is predisposed towards fighting Jedi." I relayed my observations of the Echani Mandalorian to my Master, I felt it was fitting given that we were talking about Lady Attam's companions. Phanza certainly traveled with a powerful retinue of warriors and, individually, they were all quite a threat to a Jedi, together, they could mop the floor with the both of us. I had to wonder if they were even necessary though, after all, given the display that Phanza unleashed on those separatist tanks with her chain lightning, it seemed that she easily had the power to murder the both of us easily. In general The Grand Duchy of Taaszon seemed capable of fighting the separatists, while they didn't have the raw numbers, their tanks, starships, and super dreadnoughts were all at or above the level of the separatists and the Republic. This faction had clearly been gearing up for a major conflict when the separatists stumbled upon them and I'm not quite sure what their game is now.

They had the advantage of secrecy and surprise if their foe was the Republic and now they've lost that, even if they are hiding as much information from us as possible. The separatist invasion fleet was bigger than we expected and, even now as we rush to Acina, war wages on back on Imperius Prime, so perhaps they really did need the help. I found that hard to believe though, I seriously doubt that the Super Dreadnoughts here are the entire Sith Fleet, Taaszon has more, I'm sure of it. It is possible that this is a plot to turn Jedi over to the Dark Side, but Taaszon is risking a lot to do it by revealing themselves and I think that there is more to it. Sure, Phanza has seemingly taken a particular interest in me, but something tells me there is more to it - the long glance she gave me back on Coruscant suggests that this is not premeditated. She only took an interest in me after seeing me, she only claimed that the Chancellor is deceiving me after meeting him, and she only claimed that the Jedi Council is deceiving me after both of those events. I think that her interest in me is separate from whatever is going on between The Grand Duchy of Taaszon and The Republic. Though I can only guess what both of those plans entail.

"Yet nevertheless, they have fought with us in battle. The human with the electrostaff, Avoine, she's one of Phanza's bodyguards, but she fought alongside me back on Imperius Prime." Master Avdune told me, interesting that we both had the same experience. I do not mean to assume but that seems like too much to be a coincidence, I wondered if Lady Attam had gone so far as to coordinate the order of battle. The fact that we were now separated from our clone battalion was suspicious as well. I had to wonder if Phanza was orchestrating this because of Taaszon's plan for the Republic or because of her plan for me. Either way, I knew I had to be on high alert and, while my master didn't know the whole truth quite yet, I had a feeling that she at least suspected something was going on with Phanza taking an interest in me. As long as my master did not abandon the people of this Grand Duchy because of this, I was content with the situation.

I was confident in my ability to resist Phanza's attempts to convert me and I felt that, given that I was following the Jedi way by showing compassion to the innocent people of this Grand Duchy who were forced to live under the Sith's iron fist, my motivations only drove me further and further away from the Dark Side. Every Padawan must face trials, challenges, and adversity to become a Jedi Knight, therefore, if I can get past this, hopefully Master Avdune and the Jedi Council will see that I am well on my way to becoming a Jedi Knight. Once I am a Jedi Knight, perhaps then I'll finally have enough clout amongst my fellow Jedi to begin arguing for peace. I do not want to take a Padawan of my own only to have to lead them into battle. I am only sixteen, if I become a Jedi Knight any time soon, I won't be ready to potentially lose a Padawan. I'm not sure if anyone is ever ready to lose a pupil. I know that Master Avdune, as much as she tries to be an ideal Jedi Knight and my master, in many ways, she is young and not ready. I don't know what would happen to her if she lost me and I am doing everything in my power to ensure that she does not lose me - whether its by defending myself despite my distaste from combat and by resisting Phanza and the Dark Side.

"The Zabrak, Ruumshi, did the same for me." I told my master, referencing the battle where Ruumshi arrived to support me along with Commander Warlock and the other clone troopers. I was worried about them now, Warlock was a competent Commander, as loyal as they come, but leaving him, Wishlist, Williams, Winch, Warden, and Witchcraft along on a planet with Sith on one end and separatists on the other...I wanted to help the people of Taaszon, but with Phanza's intentions mysterious, Grand Duchess Voytana clearly orchestrating some grand game, and the two of us isolated on a ship surrounded by elite warriors, I couldn't help but get worried over our clones. Master Avdune would not be so callous as to say that it would be my fault if something happened to the 1204th Clone Battalion, but I would know that if I didn't fight to help these Sith, our clones wouldn't be in this position now. In fact, our clones would be resting on Coruscant on leave after our stint on Felucia, instead, they were on the battlefield again. I didn't think that anything would happen, it would defy all logic for the Sith to begin a war that they were not yet prepared for against a much larger foe, but I was worried because if anyone was going to defy a Jedi's logic, it would be the Sith.

"They are up to something...we must stay vigilant Zaliza." Master Avdune cautioned, we have gotten ourselves pulled into a Sith scheme and there is no telling where this journey will take us. All we could do is do everything we can to survive and extract as much information as possible without bringing harm to ourselves or our clones.

* * *

Master Avdune and I entered the cargo hold the next morning to find Phanza dueling against Avoine and Ruumshi. The Red-skinned Nautolan, dressed in a markedly different set of robes - this one was two shades of purple, the main one darker than the second - and it exposed her midriff, her arms up to her gloves, and quite a bit of her neckline despite being hooded. I suppose the get-up and the training meant that we were almost at Acina, the sandy moon of New Ziost. Lady Attam was a Sorceress first and foremost so she favored the Force, but she was no slouch with a lightsaber either, expertly fighting against two opponents with her Form II - Makashi - lightsaber combat style. She appeared downright elegant - the quick, dance-like nature of her blocking and countering, the gentle sway of her many tattooed Lekku as she moved, and even the subtle hints of her next move conveyed across her toned red skin. She was a talented duelist, a powerful Force user, and a she had a genius mind backing it all up - all of that only emphasized how dangerous this woman was.

She parried two blows from Ruumshi but, behind her, Avoine seemed like she has a chance - the human was going to swing her electrostaff all the way around and bring it to Phanza's throat, winning the duel. Unfortunately for her, Lady Attam had other ideas. As soon as Avoine began her motion Phanza disengaged from Ruumshi and brought her own lightsaber to Avoine's throat. The human was downright surprised to see the red and black lightsaber in front of her. Beaten, Avoine retreated to the edge of the cargo hold while Ruumshi and Phanza continued to fight.

The orange skinned bald Zabrak in a set of black robes - significantly more modest than Phanza's current outfit - fought valiantly but Lady Attam was not giving her a chance to go on the offensive and, when Ruumshi finally did try to go on it, she found the end of a red and black blade pointed at her chest. Lady Attam had won...I suspected this was a usual occurrence. For most people in the galaxy, the point of bodyguards was for them to be tougher than you in order to protect you, but the Sith never operated like that - their whole way of life demands paranoia and deception - their bodyguards were no match for them, they would be strong, sure, but the Sith would always be stronger. The Sith Master would always be stronger than the apprentice as well, for once the apprentice was strong enough to fight their master, they would become the Sith Master. At least, that's how it works with the rule of two, I'm not quite sure how this larger Sith Order works. Master Avdune and I are trying to find out, but Lady Attam and her allies seem devoted to keeping their civilization as secret as possible.

"Master Jedi...would you like to spar?" Phanza requested, a smirk on her face directed at my master. I wondered what both of them would do, I knew that my Master, on some level, would enjoy beating Lady Attam, however, she is rational enough to realize that Lady Attam wants to fight her, the Sith wants to spar, and my Master, in her wisdom, knew that if a Sith wanted something, it was better to not get involved.

"Jedi view combat as a last resort, I have no interest in sparring. I would rather meditate." Master Avdune replied, now we both knew that, especially since war broke out, many, many Jedi have been sparring in the temple and even before that every Padawan received lightsaber training, but this war was the exception rather than the rule. Combat should be a last resort for the Jedi and Ullara shouldn't have any interest in sparring with anyone, especially not a Sith. The high and mighty Jedi routine did nothing for Lady Attam though, in fact, her smirk only grew as she turned to me. I groaned internally, was she really going to target me over this? Was she really going to openly try and turn me to the Dark Side in front of my very own Jedi Master? How bold was this woman?

"Funny for a General of The Grand Army of The Republic to say combat is a last resort, Padawan Vyvan? ...or should I say Commander?" Phanza was all too eager to point out any sort of hypocrisy from the Jedi, yet she was unwilling to talk about her faction, about the Sith in fighting that has resulted in the separatists, a galaxy-wide faction but one that is on the verge of facing few defeats on worlds like Felucia, Saleucami, and Mygeeto, battling against The Grand Duchy of Taaszon, a remnant of a long dead Sith Empire clinging to life at the very edge of the galaxy, hiding in the unknown and hoping to defeat factions far larger and far more populated than them with some scheming and some potentially superior technology. They may have been able to repel this particular separatist attack, but I wonder...maybe the reason they called for our help is because that, while they can win a battle, they stand no chance in an all out war. Of course, the separatists committing on two fronts will only hasten their defeat, but either way, the Sith, who have such a field day criticizing the Jedi, will see one of their two remaining factions in the galaxy completely wiped out. The Jedi are far from perfect, but I intend to do my part in making them better, the Sith just seek to destroy one another and we can only hope that as few innocent people as possible are caught in the crossfire. If there was a peaceful way to banish the Sith from Taaszon and bring their people into the Republic, we would do that, but there wasn't. Starting a war against the Sith would just lead to more pain and suffering which is exactly what they want.

"With all due respect, Lady Attam, we are aware of the state of our order. Now please, tell us what we're doing on Acina so my Padawan and I don't have to be Commanders and Generals anymore." Master Avdune countered. Phanza was testing her patience but my master knew that getting angry or snapping at her was only giving the Sith what she wants. Perhaps the Force was not just testing my resistance to Phanza's Dark Side advances but it was also testing my master, seeing if she would be able to resist her own base level instincts. Perhaps the return of the ancient Sith is testing the Jedi as a whole, seeing if our war against the separatist and these "pretender" Sith Lords has turned us to the Dark Side. This could be the wake-up call many Jedi need, but if we lash out like Master Windu wants, like Master Avdune wanted to at some point, then maybe we'll be demonstrating that, as an Order, us Jedi have fallen to the Dark Side.

"As you wish Master Jedi." Phanza laughed it off "Your clones and my forces are pushing the separatists back from Zavros City back on Imperius Prime, our combined fleets are fully engaged over Kallig, and my armies on New Ziost have repelled separatist attacks on that planet. Now, we must finish this invasion once and for all. The separatists have positioned their Lucrehulk-class battleships on Acina after our fleets forced them out from orbit over New Ziost. Our Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts are in position to bombard the separatist ships into dust, all we need to do is deactivate the shield generator protecting them. A simple task for a small, elite team. The _Ultimate _comes in, we do our job, and we leave before our starships unleash their arsenal."

"How heavily guarded is the shield generator?" I asked. I may be a young Padawan but I've experienced enough situations like this to know that this seemingly simple task won't be all that simple. In fact, knowing how much Phanza knows about the Republic and the separatists, clearly she knows it won't be that easier either. I had to assume that she was simply trying to reassure us and make us more comfortable with this uneasy alliance. Phanza Attam seemed to be an experienced manipulator, she knows when to pressure us about the deep flaws within the Republic and the Jedi and when to ease up and give a sense of comfort and respect. Phanza addressed Master Avdune and I with respect all while tearing our values to shreds. A young female alien is certainly not the stereotypical image of the Sith, but between her raw power in the Force and her power of the mind - which, if anything, was greater than her actual ability to fight - she seemed, to me anyway, to be the ideal image of a Sith Lord. Powerful, manipulative, fiercely intelligent, and, most dangerously, easy to underestimate.

"Analysis: the shield generator will mainly be guarded by B1 Battle Droids reinforced with B2 Super Battle Droids. Analysis: we are composed of a Sith Lord, two Jedi, a Mandalorian, two armed meatbags, and myself. Conclusion: Open assault will be easy. Tantalizing Request: Mistress, may I prepare for battle? I would like to join you and your meatbag allies in the battle against these...lesser automatons." the protocol droid, HK-107 finally spoke up. We was clearly more than he seemed with advanced tactical knowledge and what seemed to be a droid version of bloodlust despite his archaic speak pattern. The droid clearly has not had a memory wipe in a very long time to have developed such an advanced personality...perhaps he could be the key to Master Avdune and I learning more about this Grand Duchy of Taaszon. That idea could hold some merit, however, the sheer mechanical emptiness of his eyes and the blankness in the Force while simultaneously being such a deadly and bloodthirsty creature made me uneasy. Someone built this machine. Someone decided to build a heartless killing machine and this person wasn't concerned with ease of manufacture like the separatists were - no, the designer of this droid wanted a single ultimate killing machine and spared no expense - in fact, I think even the archaic voice modulator might be a deliberate choice. There is something unnerving of the droid's voice and something even more unnerving about his speech pattern. It almost brings the thought that his designer minimized the processors to add more killing power. Now, that was a ruse given how fiercely intelligent the droid seemed, but I think there is something to it as well.

"Well, it seems that there won't be a problem. Shall we go then, Master Jedi?" Phanza asked, once again being deferential to Master Avdune. I could tell that Master Avdune didn't like it, she felt that it was deliberately mocking and patronizing, and I didn't think that she was necessarily wrong, either. Phanza's politeness was definitely meant to get under our skin and drive us mad, additionally, the deference to Master Avdune was definitely mocking the fact that we were basically prisoners on board a hostile vessel, however, perhaps there was some respect there. I mean, Phanza did come asking for help and Master Avdune ended up being the one to take her case to the Jedi Council and I think she did legitimately want to duel Master Avdune on a sparring basis as well as taking the opportunity to poke and prod her as an opportunity to bring me over the Dark Side. It was clear that Phanza was grateful, I just wondered if Phanza was grateful for the aid or if she was grateful for the opportunity to try and turn me, a Padawan, over to the Dark Side. The aid was clearly in the interests of Taaszon, even if we still didn't know exactly why they wanted the Republic here, but my presence in particular was in the interest of Lady Attam alone.

"Very well. We shall knock down the shield generator." Master Avdune reluctantly agreed. It was only natural for the two of us to be uncomfortable on a Sith moon with a Sith retinue fighting against the separatists opening the way for a Sith bombardment. Logic dictated that the Sith wouldn't harm us, but the fact that we were dealing with the Sith meant that we were uncomfortable. In the space of a decade the Jedi went from not seeing a Sith in centuries to now dealing with two dueling factions of Sith, now we had to find a way towards peace through this nonsense, so yes, we were allied with these Sith, Phanza was, at least nominally, our friend, but we were paranoid. As Jedi, perhaps we shouldn't be, but the history between the Jedi and the Sith have guaranteed that we are.

* * *

"Cover me." Phanza said simply. Her command was carried out as Ceyla and HK-107 came out of cover and opened fire. The _Ultimate _was sitting behind us on the red sand and we had just barely managed to set up a few barriers when the separatist ground forces ambushed us. This was not quite as simple as Phanza lead us to believe. The red-skinned Nautolan came out of cover and a toned, red arm rose up to the sky and launched red lightning into the air, lightning which came down on the droids as a Force storm. I didn't know the voltage of this lightning and I didn't want to find out, all I knew is that it was tearing the droids apart. I was not willing to take back my claim about Phanza underestimating the separatists, but she hardly seems troubled.

The heaviest droid resistance was eliminated and that allowed us to spring into action. Both ends of my double-bladed purple lightsaber was activated and I started swinging it through the droids while my master and her green lightsaber deflected blaster bolts back at the droids before she finished them off. My master had initially trained with the dignified and defensive Form III - Soresu - however, Master Avdune was one of many young Jedi to take quickly to warfare and she has since transitioned to the faster and more aggressive Form V - Shien - meanwhile, my double-bladed weapon demanded that I trained with a less traditional combat style. My fighting style was more akin to a quarterstaff martial arts fighting style rather than one of the traditional lightsaber forms. My master and I fought in very different ways, but we fought well together, despite my distaste for war and the fact that, as a Master-Padawan duo, we are amongst the youngest and least experienced pairs within the Jedi, though, as attrition and war takes a toll, younger and younger Jedi are becoming relatively commonplace.

Ruumshi and Avoine had a somewhat similar fighting style to me given that they wielded electrostaffs which were essentially electrified quarterstaffs, however, their training under a Sith Lord means that their fighting style is far more ruthless. From what little I've interacted with them, both we pleasant women and they seemed like they came from more humble beginnings rather than Sith aristocracy - based on what we traditionally know about the Sith, they are quite xenophobic, however, Lady Attam seems to be an indicator of progress, nevertheless, the fact that Ruumshi is a Zabrak, one so unabashed as to have shaved her hair and proudly and openly wear her horns, means she likely isn't a part of that Sith aristocracy, more open or not. I had to wonder if Taaszon even had an advanced aristocracy, I knew there was Grand Duchess Voytana and Lady Attam was her apprentice as well as many other lesser Sith, but what else was there? These were the answers Master Avdune and I wanted, yet instead, we found ourselves just fighting against battle droids once again.

Ceyla the Mandalorian used her jetpack to shoot up into the sky and unleash a hail of bullets down onto the droids. Phanza, then finished off the stragglers with a Force push. With that, we were now faced with the edge of the shield itself. Coming to a near stop, we had to move very slowly to pass through the shield - the purpose of these energy shields was to stop fast moving, unstable objects like lasers, lightning, and explosives, but in order to provide full protection from that in every way, the shield had to be designed so that organic life could pass through. Given that this shield generator belonged to the separatists, obviously their shields had to allow mechanical creatures through as well - a shield wouldn't be much good if it neutralized their own droid armies - therefore, HK-107 had no problem joining us inside. Now that we were within the shield generator's range, we could concentrate on the task of actually getting there - something which was easier said than done. Jedi and Sith gathered together behind a set of crates as we planned our next move, all the while the droids were on high alert.

"Master Jedi, you and your Padawan go to the right and swoop around to the shield generator. Ceyla and HK-107 will flank around to the left while Ruumshi, Avoine, and I draw their attention in the center." Lady Attam presented her plan. Her retinue agreed with it after only a beat but Master Avdune was hesitant. The selfish side of my master didn't want to agree to her plan, however, her logical side could not find any glaring flaws with this plan. Finally, my master nodded and we put the plan into action. Ceyla leaned to the left and used her jetpack to launch her towards another piece of cover to the left, filling the droids with laser bolts and draw attention, attention which HK-107 eagerly took as the assassin droid gunned down the targets. Master Avdune and I quietly and stealthily made our way to the shield generator, making our way past barricades. The massive Lucrehulk-class ships were just giant spheres placed in the ground around the outer perimeter of the shield generator, their large rings up in the air, just barely within the shield. The carnage would be absolutely massive once this shield was down and the Margraviate-class Sith Super Dreadnoughts opened fire on this separatist base.

We found out that the stealth was virtually unnecessary once Phanza shot red lightning and swung her black and red lightsaber through the droids - to say that her distraction was working was an understatement. Taking this chance, we rushed over to shield generator and began working. Master Avdune plunged her green lightsaber through the shield generator but it was a titanic machine, heavily armored and containing countless failsafes. Phanza was distracting them with an all out assault with the help from her two bodyguards while the Mandalorian and the assassin droid were attacking the droids from the side, however, it seems that their programming was to protect the shield generator above all else. Six Super Battle Droids turned around ominously and opened fire at the two of us. I activated my double-bladed purple lightsaber and spun it even which way to deflect and perhaps reflect as many laser bolts as possible. I had to protect myself and my master above all else, perhaps going on the offensive and ripping those droids apart would be a better choice but I couldn't risk doing that without seeing either myself or my master get hurt.

The Super Battle Droids were on the verge of overwhelming me when a red and black lightsaber plunged through the chest of one of the droids. Another one was pulled back at a horrible angle, seeing its waist torn apart and the pieces thrown off into the distance. A third droid was cut across the head while the remaining two droids to the left of Lady Attam were electrocuted. Turning to the right, the penultimate Super Battle Droid was pulled to Phanza and chopped in half while the last one was picked off by HK-107 before his mistress could finish it off. This particular group was finished off quickly but there were plenty of B1 and B2 droids left over which Ruumshi, Avoine, and Ceyla were engaged in, we were in danger of getting overwhelmed by their superior numbers, even with this mighty group of warriors, even with two Jedi here, even with Phanza Attam and her mighty Force powers.

Lady Attam rushed over and used the Force to rip a piece of armor off of the shield generator before filling the innards of the machine with Force Lightning. The machine overloaded and it exploded. Our job was done, the droids were overwhelming us, and the Sith fleet was about to unleash its arsenal upon the this separatist position. There wasn't a word spoken between the group of us, but we all understood that it was time to go. We raced back to the _Ultimate _as Margraviate-class Super Dreadnoughts began opening fire on the far side of the base, devastating the Lucrehulk starships and anything else that the separatists had. The Sith did seem to know what they were doing, the bombardment was slow enough that we were safe and could escape before we had any threat of getting blown to bits.

Red sand was blown high into the sky as the last of us boarded the _Ultimate _and launched off of Acina. Master Avdune and I watched from the cockpit of the Ravager-class Sith Interceptor as the massive red cloud settled back down, burying the separatists in red sand. The cloud of utter red seemed all too perfect for the Sith, their signature color combined with utter destruction culminating in it burying its enemies. Imperius Prime was a world of chaotic geology with bone-chilling cold on the fringes and burning hot lava in the center, two horribly destructive elements on one planet. Kallig was a gas giant of destructive winds and supercharged lightning were the Sith were exploiting the worlds resources. New Ziost had jagged peaks and oppressive ice as well. All that we have seen from this Grand Duchy of Taaszon is worlds tailor made for the Sith, worlds of death, worlds of darkness, worlds of exploitation. I wanted to help the people of this state and save them from the separatists, but I wasn't convinced if these people wanted any help after all. Perhaps the separatists would even be an improvement over these Sith as the Confederacy of Independent Systems is at least nominally a democracy with a parliament. I wanted to believe that these people were worth saving but they seem content to live with the Sith on their evil worlds with their autocracy despite seemingly having open knowledge of the galaxy beyond.

I was about to turn around and leave the cockpit when one of those oasis cities that Phanza mentioned back on Imperius Prime came into view, I saw the homes of regular people gathered around the fresh water where the dunes sunk into the oasis and, outside of them, I saw the faces of grateful people, grateful families, and grateful children. They have live on evil worlds, they may pledge their loyalty to the Sith, they may even go so far as to attribute this victory to Taaszon and downplay the Republic's involvement, but I will always know that they were grateful for being saved from the separatists and I was apart of saving them. It was hard to believe that, after everything else I've seen of Taaszon, that these people were actually happy to be citizens of a Sith Empire, but nevertheless, I saw humans, Chiss, and aliens living side by side grateful to still be a part of this Sith Grand Duchy. These people may subscribe to an ideology that views them as expendable resources and fetishizes war, but they have determined for themselves that they want to be a part of this civilization. These Sith citizens really are people and they really deserve to be saved, and if they decided that they want to be a part of Taaszon forever more, then perhaps it is the duty of the Jedi that these people get what they want, even if doing so means that we must help a civilization that has traditionally been our enemy and clearly still has animosity towards us.

* * *

"What did you think of this mission, Zaliza?" Master Avdune asked me casually as we walked through a corridor to the bridge of the _Sage_, happy to be back on-board our familiar Venator-class Star Destroyer along with our familiar clone brethren.

"It was enlightening master, the Sith have become so militarized, they wield so much evil power, and are so open about being Sith, yet their people seem happy about their rule." I explained, relaying my feelings over my observations as we left Acina.

"Oh? But I thought you were devoted to helping them from the beginning?" Master Avdune teased me, she had a point, perhaps I had not entirely thought this out. Wanting to help them was a compassionate gesture, not necessarily one brought out by logic.

"Well...I thought that helping them meant bringing them towards democracy while we bring the Sith back towards the light, however...it seems that the people of Taaszon are more happy with autocracy and the Dark Side. I must admit that this defies conventional wisdom." I passed on my thoughts to Master Avdune, feeling a bit more open about talking about Taaszon now that we already helped them as were leaving their system.

"I mean...we cannot sit so comfortably with autocracy." Master Avdune seemed concerned, as if she was fearful that my experiences in Taaszon have left me sympathetic towards autocracy.

"Can we really say that Master? After all, even the Jedi Order is rather hierarchical." I objected. The Republic contained various Kingdoms and other monarchical states - and also Naboo where they used royal titles but were in a Republic in every other sense of the word - and the Jedi Order basically had an absolute Council at the top, with Masters Yoda and Windu at the helm of the Council itself.

"Now, now Zaliza, comparing the Jedi Order to a Sith rump state is rather extreme." I had to admit, I thought that it was a bit harsh for Master Avdune to outright dismiss my observation rather than explaining why she felt differently "Now come on, the Jedi Council is permitting us to spend the rest of the time of our scheduled leave back on Coruscant. Lets enjoy it."

With that, I was left wondering if the Jedi really were deceiving me after all. Master Avdune was a brilliant master but this was just one example of how she grew uncomfortable whenever I so much as critiqued the Jedi Order.

* * *

Alright guys, this has been chapter four of Secrets of The Outer Rim, I hope you enjoyed it! Ciao!


	5. Hypocrisies of The Jedi

Hello everyone! We're back for chapter five! Now, my other Star Wars story The Armored Berserkers went to chapter five before going on hiatus to make room for this, this will go to chapter ten. The reason for this is that with Berserkers, chapter five was the last chapter of the prologue so continuing on would leave us in the middle of act one with a hiatus, meanwhile, here, chapter five is in the middle of act one, so we will go to the end of act one. At that point, I will make a decision on what I am going to write on alternate weeks. I will either continue this, pick up with Romans, or start a new story entirely. At this point, I am personally leaning towards the latter since I am a bit burned out with Star Wars after getting geared up for Episode IX and Mandalorian by rewatching Clone Wars. Since I've gotten Disney plus I've watched Clone Wars - except the movie, it's trash, it started something great, but its trash - watched Rebels for the first time, all eight episodes of the Mandalorian, the prequels, Last Jedi, Rogue One, and I saw Rise of Skywalker twice in theaters. Looking at that list, it's kinda a no brainer that I burned myself out of Star Wars, though, with Clone Wars season seven just a month away, that may reignite my passion and I may decide I want to continue after all.

Right now, I really don't know, but you guys can influence me. I know I probably shouldn't fuss about it but I do look at clicks and they do matter to me. But I recognize that this site counts them weirdly and they aren't representative to begin with, thus, I weigh them fairly lightly. Follows and favorites I weight higher than that but I weigh them the same as each other. On all three of my stories here, the difference between follows and favorites stands at one and most of the people match, so considering most people do both, I'll count them together. What I weigh most highly is reviews, they're the rarest, they require a bit of time to write up, and they represent someone invested enough in this story to actually leave feedback. Okay, so that was all for transparency's sake and I will leave my answer as to what I will write after this in chapter ten of this story in the author's note. I will probably leave a reminder in the corresponding chapter of Romans. Anyway, with all that business stuff out of the way, this titanic author's note is done.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter V.

Hypocrisies of the Jedi.

* * *

I sat crosslegged in a meditation chamber aboard the _Sage_ and used the Force to pull my lightsaber apart. The reddish brown metal was made to match my lightsaber and it contained four purple color crystals - the design was a callback to earlier times, a time when the Jedi were actually peaceful. Double-bladed lightsabers were created as a tool of war, yet it remained popular for time as an ornamental weapon and a martial arts tool before fading away into relative obscurity. It is now making somewhat of a comeback given that the Jedi were once again at war. I was at war, I was a warrior, and I used a double-bladed lightsaber, I suppose that most people would assume me to be one. I mean, a double-bladed purple weapon, rather dark red-brown robes, a red skinned face and a pair of purple eyes in the shadow of a hood, I do admit that, appearance wise, I am not exactly the most approachable Jedi. I acknowledge that my appearance may result in me being perceived as a belligerent Jedi, perhaps one open to the Dark Side. It seemed superficial to me. I suppose the visual key may have something to do with why my master gets so nervous about me so much as critiquing the Jedi Order and maybe it has something to do with why Phanza Attam spent that notable moment longer observing me than she did with Master Avdune - the moment I suspect when Lady Attam decided to try and corrupt me to the Dark Side. I wasn't satisfied with this possibility. I figured there had to be more to all this than just appearances.

There has to be something about me that has made both Master Avdune and Lady Attam believe I am susceptible to the Dark Side. It was easier to dismiss Phanza, after all, she was a Sith Lord, if a somewhat affable one, so she may simply be hopeful. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon seems to have somewhat more archaic titles than the rule-of-two Sith we're accustomed to, these pretenders. The Pretenders use the term Lord as a colloquial title, meanwhile, Taaszon seems to be like the ancient Sith, which made a distinction between Lords and Darths. Darths all had a proper Sith name, some Lords did, others just used their surnames. Lady Attam is one of those Lords without a title. Lords are below Darths but ranked high enough to take on their own apprentices. Therefore, I suspected that Phanza, who was young enough that I suspected she only recently became a Lord, had been apprentice to Grand Duchess Voytana herself, so she wanted to take her own apprentice now. She wanted to add a third name to a prestigious line. I wondered why she had chose me to be apprentice of the Grand Duchess' apprentice. I wish I could ask Master Avdune for advice, but I didn't think that she would be helpful. Ullara was snappish with Phanza Attam on board her own ship when the Nautolan criticized the Jedi in front of me and she then completely shut me down just for bringing up a comparison with the Sith.

I stand by what I said, the Jedi Order is indeed hierarchical. No matter how you spin it, there is no question that Master Yoda has more authority than Master Avdune who has more authority than I do. I do not think Master Yoda personally would mind, but I am well aware that it would not be considered proper if I brought my concerns with the Jedi Order directly to him, rather than bringing them to my Master or properly presenting them before the Jedi Council with permission. Sure some Jedi get the opportunity to speak with Master Yoda personally about their concerns, but those are the likes of Jedi Council or very important Jedi like Master Skywalker, a Jedi with many victories to his name and one of the highest midichlorian counts amongst the Jedi, certainly much higher than my own.

I was not personally aware of anyone's midichlorian count, not even my own, however, as a youngling, I recalled many rumors amongst the children. Rumors of which Jedi was the strongest. And of course there was the question of which of us was the strongest, something which the boys were particularly concerned with. All the boys would insist that they were the strongest Jedi to ever live with the most midichlorians and the greatest Force powers, granted, there were a few girls who would always join them. I always thought that it was pretty ridiculous, none of us knew our count. I always assumed I was an average Jedi, not particularly strong nor particularly weak. I always thought of myself as an unremarkable Jedi. I just wanted to be a peacekeeper. If my name was going to be remembered, I wanted to be remembered for bringing the Jedi back to their roots as peacekeepers and maybe for playing a part in the reconciliation of the Jedi and the Sith of Taaszon, but even then, I wanted to think that I was doing that because I wanted to be a good Jedi not because I was so concerned with my own reputation. Though at this point, I'll probably just settle for getting to be a Jedi in a time of peace.

I used the Force to pull my lightsaber together, bringing the crystals in place, floating the focusing crystals up before them, and then bringing the two emitters to either end. The other internal components and the outer shell all floated into place as I essentially brought two lightsabers together. Slowly, I breathed in, careful not to disturb my own focus or the lightsaber in front of me. I exhaled as I brought everything together. The piece lined up and I twisted them into place before gently lowering my lightsaber to the ground, the weapon brought back together. Asajj Ventress, the former Dark Jedi Assassin, had a double-bladed lightsaber that she could pull apart into a pair of curved-hilt lightsabers - my understanding is that she used them that way far more than she ever used them as a saberstaff - but I felt that would be an admission of our warlike nature.

In terms of a weapon, having a saberstaff that could come apart was superior in every way. The fact that the weapon was two functional separate pieces meant that there was no worry of it being cut in half, unlike my singular saberstaff, being able to switch from a single lightsaber to a saberstaff to a pair of lightsabers at any point in a battle added a level of unpredictability that was difficult to challenge, and it meant that, when only a single blade was needed, it was more practical as a single half could be used. With my weapon, a dedicated saberstaff, the long hilt was a target and cutting it apart would destroy my weapon, I could activate one end at a time, but that still left me with an awkward hilt that was more than twice as long as an average lightsaber hilt, and I lacked the ability to change my lightsaber into anything else. I did not want my weapon, the symbolic tool of a Jedi, to be adjusted to the whims of war. I built the weapon I wanted to build, the weapon I felt in the Force, the weapon of a peacekeeper. To make my lightsaber a more efficient killing weapon would be to betray myself and betray my values. It would be a weapon of meditation, a weapon of bringing one's mind and body together through the martial arts, and a weapon of balance in the galaxy.

Perhaps that was a bit too poetic.

The lightsaber was a symbol of the Jedi and I felt that one's lightsaber said a lot about a person. I watched as Master Avdune entered the room and quietly went about a few lightsaber exercises, not yet realizing that I was done meditating. I appreciated that my master was considerate enough to not disturb me even through I really had finished. Her weapon was simple. A single-bladed green lightsaber and she used the relatively aggressive Shien form. I could see in her stances and her swings that she still had a bit of Soresu in her, a relic of a more civilized age. She seemed like the ideal young Jedi. A Mirialan in a set of brown Jedi robes with a green lightsaber who practiced Soresu...or at least did once. But war has tainted all of us. Her style was more aggressive now, there was a heavier presence in her eyes - perhaps resentment, perhaps anger, maybe even guilt - but guilt or no guilt it didn't really seem to affect Master Avdune. She still appeared beautiful in combat. She never looked more natural than while she going through her combat routine.

Perhaps that said a lot about the Jedi, when Master Avdune, who appeared to be the perfect Jedi, was in her element in combat. My master was a great teacher and I loved that I was training under her, but I hated that she exhibited so many of the signs of what I didn't like about the Jedi. I didn't like that she was so aggressive in combat, I didn't like that she was trying a Padawan when she wasn't even in her thirties, and i didn't like how she was predisposed to distrusting Lady Attam and her people just because they are Sith.

Lady Attam...I didn't know what I thought about her. I know that I didn't like that she was trying to turn me over to the Dark Side. I was also somewhat scared of how powerful she was. The lightning she possessed, whether it comes in Force Storms, Chain Lightning, or simply the classical Force Lightning, it all did so much damage and it all manifested itself in that frightening red. Blood red. The lightning suited her complex I suppose, red and black, just like her skin and her tattoos, just like her lightsaber, just like her face and her eyes. I never imagined the archetypal Sith as an alien, nor as a woman, but this alien woman was redefining what the Sith are to me. I guess what I learned today is that appearances never tell the full tale. I may appear to be dark and dangerous, but I'm not, I am loyal to the Jedi, or at least to what the Jedi should be. Master Avdune appears to be the ideal Jedi, but she is a product of her time, a product of war. Phanza Attam doesn't appear to be a powerful Sith Lord, but she has demonstrated time and time again that she is. Appearances can indeed be deceiving.

* * *

"We'll be arriving on Coruscant later today." Master Avdune told me as she sat in a little kitchenette we shared aboard the _Sage_, near our two quarters. She was dressed rather casually, wearing a white tunic and very dark brown - almost black - tights. I had not dressed in my entire robes either. I wore a black tunic with a hint of gold color littered throughout the design and a pair of black shorts. Jedi technically do not need to be modest, it is neither a written or unwritten rule. The robes we are given are modest, but we are free to alter our outfits, so long as we do not frivolously pursue clothing. Jedi like Master Secura are certainly not modest. I usually was, but I saw no reason why I should be with my Master in private. I would get fully dressed before leaving my the area of the ship reserved for us Jedi.

Lady Attam usually was modest, at least by Sith standards, but she certainly wasn't on Acina. Those robes which revealed her midriff and arms had more of an effect on me than I would like to admit. If we did not so quickly find ourselves battling overwhelming odds at the separatist shield generator, I likely would have caught myself staring at her more. I was not quite sure what that said about me. The Jedi were quite clinical about attraction, deeming it a means to an end when it came to reproduction and something which Jedi were to avoid. They acknowledged that homosexuality and other sexualities existed, that was about it. Attachment was not the way of the Jedi and emotionless sex was frowned upon. The Jedi reasoning that emotionless sex rarely stayed that way and thus led to more attachment, which led to jealousy, anger, hate, and, eventually, the Dark Side. I thought that stance was a bit extreme but I never questioned it, I never had a reason to question it. I was never really all that aware of myself sexually.

At some point since realizing I was attracted to Phanza, I became aware of the fact that I was not attracted to men at all, but I was attracted to women, as in...more than one. Being aware of that didn't mean that I did anything with that knowledge. Looking at Master Avdune, I could definitely say that I found Master Avdune attractive, after all, she was a fit young woman, a smart one too, and the fact that we were different species didn't seem to bother me. I found Phanza attractive as well, as I realized when she began reaching out to me with the Force. I found her attractive even though she was a multitude more exotic than Ullara. I admit that I am not entirely sure of the mechanics of other species but I assumed, given most things were similar, the...the plumbing would be rather similar too. The Jedi Archives were not particularly forthcoming on any information on the topic, though, admittedly, I also didn't have much reason to look before I found myself feeling an attraction I hadn't felt before. Anyway, I was coming to terms with the fact that I found a variety of women attractive, but I am sure that most Jedi did. There is a difference between mere attraction and sexual activity. Master Avdune was my master, I did not want to complicate our professional relationship or disappoint her simply because I found her aesthetically attractive. Meanwhile, Lady Attam was a Sith Lord, telling her I found her attractive would only lead to trouble, especially given that Phanza was actively trying to turn me over to the Dark Side. I did not want awareness of my own sexuality to spiral into avoiding some sort of Dark Side seduction scheme, though given the circumstances of when I became aware of my sexuality, perhaps it was already too late for that.

"What are you thinking about Zaliza?" Master Avdune asked me, an eyebrow raised and a soft smile on her face. My guess is that she could tell I was thinking and, prodding softly with the Force, detected a strange set of emotions. She probably assumed I had a little bit of a crush on a fellow Padawan or something like that, nothing particularly major or worth worrying over. She wasn't that far off either. I was glad to entertain this line of questioning, I would rather discuss something harmless like sexuality than end up in another argument with my Master over the Sith of Taaszon or anything like that.

"Oh just some nonsense about urges. Nothing I have any intention of acting on." I assured her that everything was alright, as I sat down across from her and started eating something. Her black hair was loosely tied with several strands just tucked behind her little green ears. I didn't see her hair much outside of these quarters. She tended to wear a hood, to be fair, so did I. I was sixteen, she was twenty-five, sure it was a bit of an age gap but, overall, I'm sure that our experiences must be rather similar. Master Yoda may not have urges anymore, perhaps even Master Windu does not, but I don't think that Master Avdune is at that level. I mean no offence when I say that she is nowhere near the level of the Jedi Council, it is simply an evaluation of facts. I will say that I don't feel like I am at her level either. This is just how the balance of power is amongst Jedi, after all, it _is _a hierarchical organization.

"It's only natural Zaliza. Considering that Zeltrons are particularly known for their...urges, as you put them, I'd say you were doing great." Master Avdune seemed a bit amused that I referred to sexual feelings as urges but did not present me with an alternative, deciding to lightly tease me instead. I didn't mind. She did have a point though, my species should have made me more susceptible to sexuality. After all, Zeltrons are indeed known for being attractive and sexually active beings, so much so that other species have suggested that we have pheromones that make others more inclined to have sex with us. I can say that I have no such pheromones as far as I could tell and my sexuality was more than manageable. I found a selection of women attractive, sure, but that didn't mean that I was going to pounce on them. Especially given that I have already found good reasons to avoid acting on my feelings with the two attractive women I encounter most often. Ullara, who has been my Master and will continue to be my master, and Phanza, a woman I am certain I have not seen the last of, especially given that she apparently can contact me through the Force. Forget lightning tricks, that may be the scariest Force ability she has portrayed thus far.

"Oh? And what of Mirialans and their urges?" I teased my master in reply. I saw a bit of a dark green tint develop just behind the black tattoos she had in two rows below her eyes. They were black rhombi that, in Mirialan societies, symbolized ones accomplishments. They reminded me of freckles. I suppose if I were a bit less professional and a bit more willing to act on mere attraction, I may describe her little tattoos as cute. I liked my master when she was like this. She was easy, she was happy, and she was supportive of me. I hated the fact that she could so easily and so seamlessly switch into a much stricter and authoritative teacher. Perhaps that was just a result of her having to take me on as a Padawan when she was so young. She wasn't ready, but the war demanded more Jedi which meant that more Padawans had to be trained. I think that I could be more comfortable if I thought of her strictness and snappishness when it comes to critiquing the Jedi as an act. She has to play the role of the Jedi Master for me so she has to ensure I am the best Jedi I can be - and being the best Jedi means not questioning the masters. Perhaps Master Avdune did not have a problem with me saying that the Jedi Order was hierarchical but she had a problem with me comparing the Jedi to the Sith. In any case, I should stop thinking about this, that would only ruin my current conversation with Ullara.

"Well...I cannot speak for the rest of my species, but...I do." Ullara sighed before seemingly getting lost in thought. I ate a small breakfast of rations quietly while she thought about whatever it was she was thinking of. I heard her sigh again before making eye contact again "A long time ago, when I was even younger than you are now, I met a slightly older girl. She was a Pantoran, sixteen years old, freshly made into a Padawan. She had been a model student and her master asked her to assist in training the next batch of younglings that were on the verge of becoming Padawans. So, the group of us, a bunch of fourteen and fifteen year olds, started training under her. She took an interest in me pretty quickly and...well, I took an interest in her too. We were in the wrong, I knew that. What we were doing would only end in pain and heartbreak, but we were both too young and naive to realize it. Her master caught us the night we were going to...take things further. He was furious. She and I were separated, she was blamed for misusing her position and I was given a strict warning about attachment. I don't want the same thing to ever happen to you or anyone else Zaliza. Feelings are natural, urges are natural, admiration is natural, but acting on it is not the Jedi way. Especially not now, not when you can feel the pain of losing someone long before you get the chance of getting caught by a Master." Ullara admitted. I listened intently to this very personal story. She never told me anything about this before.

"I...I wish that didn't happen to you master." was all I managed in reply.

"It was my fault. The two of us did things no Jedi should ever do and...if we weren't caught that night, it would only hurt a magnitude more when we did get caught." Master Avdune sighed. I didn't understand it, surely having no attachments causes more pain and suffering for Jedi than pursuing attachments would? Also, if heartbreak is can lead to pain, suffering, and the Dark Side, then why must the Jedi cause heartbreak by separating Jedi who have found love in one another? That seems counter-intuitive. I could see how love could lead to jealousy, obsession, and heartbreak, but is that really enough reason to ban it outright? After all, love can also lead to compassion, understanding, and companionship, all things that Jedi should experience. I may not have any romantic interests right now, but empathy is a Jedi quality and I felt empathy for Ullara, for her Pantoran friend, and for any other Jedi who got their heartbroken by this unnecessary rule.

I bit my tongue but I wanted to ask Ullara how our Order, an organization that preaches that the Force is found in all of us and connects each and every living being, could be so entirely against two individuals forming a stronger connection between one another. I wanted to argue but I resisted, my master has been in enough pain over this issue I am sure and, somewhat more selfishly, she is opening up to me. That is something I have wanted for a long time and I don't want to ruin it by starting a fight over the philosophies of the Jedi.

Master Avdune didn't say much more before the _Sage_ began its descent to Coruscant but she had opened up to me once and I was interested in seeing what else she would be willing to tell me before our leave on Coruscant was over.

* * *

I was walking through an empty hallway within the Jedi Temple as Master Avdune reported to the Council. I had wanted to be there with her but she gave me her word that she would handle it and that she would be truthful about the Sith of Taaszon. We had not learned as much about them as we had wanted to but we possessed a knowledge of their tactics now, we possessed scans of their ships we took during the battles against the separatists, and we possessed more information about Lady Attam and her companions, even if we still didn't know much about the Sith command structure other than Phanza herself. All in all, it had gone well and I trusted Ullara to report to the council, especially since she opened up to me.

"_You are awfully trustful of someone who lied to your face mere hours ago.__"_ I stopped dead in my tracks for a long moment. Phanza was communicating with me again, just like she had on board the _Sage _while I was on my way to Imperius Prime and the other Sith worlds. I was impressed and terrified enough when she could do it to me while I was in hyperspace, but somehow, I found it more terrifying that she was able to do it to me while I was on Coruscant. Once again, I saw the Nautolan in the flesh despite the fact we were in different places in different parts of the galaxy. She was once again dressed in her usual black and purple robes rather than the ensemble she wore on Acina. She sat alone on some sort of throne, in what looked to be some sort of castle. I suppose I should have thought that this was in Taaszon and she overthrew the Grand Duchess to take her throne, but, somehow, I knew that was wrong. I knew that this wasn't the Grand Ducal throne, this was a throne that Lady Attam regularly sat in, I had a feeling that this castle was her castle. I don't know how or why I knew all of that, but I had a lot more things bothering me before I could get to that. First of all, what did she mean about Ullara lying? Second of all, why was doing this?

"I would rather trust my master than a Sith." I muttered, I was alone as far as I could tell but I didn't want to change that by letting some Jedi in another part of the temple to hear me, nor did I want someone who entered this hallway to overhear me by coincidence. It would be absolutely disastrous for me and for the people of Taaszon if the Jedi Council learned that Lady Attam was communicating with me through the Force.

"_Shame, I have yet to lie to you." _Phanza could say that all she wanted but I was not going to trust a Sith. I wanted to help her people and I was willing to trust her to do that, but what did she do with my trust? She started trying to turn me over to the Dark Side before my master and I even stepped foot on Imperius Prime. She did not deserve to be trusted and she certainly did not deserve to be trusted over my own master, my master who literally just admitted her greatest failure to me. Ullara wasn't perfect, but she cared for me, enough to make sure that I didn't make the same mistakes she did and end up in trouble with the Jedi and left with a broken heart. That is far more than Lady Attam will ever do for me.

"I saw the pain in my master's eyes, there is no way she is lying about her and that Pantoran." I hissed in reply, that was such a Sith thing to do, I had only just managed to hear something so intense about my master's past and Phanza was already trying to make me doubt that? How did she know that Master Avdune and I had that conversation to begin with? Was this connection allowing her to observe my actions outside of contacting me? If so, why was I not able to observe her? If I could figure out how to do that, maybe, just maybe I'll be able to find Taaszon and get vital information to the Jedi Council. I hope that she couldn't hear my thoughts, if she did...that whole plan is ruined before it could even begin.

_"Silly child, I do not mean that. She is deceiving you over your true nature." _Phanza laughed and, with that, she disappeared. She only left me with more questions and more doubts. What could she possibly mean by my true nature? Did Master Avdune deceive me about whatever it is Phanza is referring to? And if so, how the hell did Master Avdune deceive me? I am a Jedi and I hope that I would not fall to the Dark Side anyway, but if Lady Attam wants me to do it, surely she knows that she isn't going to turn me into a Sith by confusing me with vague accusations of deception.

* * *

Our leave was going to be shorter than it could have been due to our mission to the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. Nevertheless, I was already beginning to feel restless. It's not that I wanted to go back to the battlefield - I had enough warfare to last me a lifetime already - but I wanted to do something. Protect a senator, resolve a planetary dispute, help younglings find their lightsaber crystals on Ilum - anything other than remaining here at the Jedi Temple, bored and with nothing to do. Eventually, I wandered into the cafeteria, I wasn't particularly hungry, but I didn't have much else to do.

A few masters sat together and seemed to be discussing some information from a datapad they passed around. I smiled politely at them to show respect but did not disturb them. Most of the people here were masters with their Padawans but there were a few individuals without the other half of their pair. I noticed that Master Avdune was not amongst those in here. Perhaps she already ate, maybe she was busy, or it could be as simple as she was on her way. I didn't know. I was thinking about turning back and looking for my master directly when I spotted a young Padawan - likely one who was just now taken on as an apprentice, one who wasn't yet exposed to the realities of being a Jedi Padawan during the biggest galactic conflict in centuries - she seemed lonely. I walked over to the young violet-skinned Twi'Lek Padawan with her golden yellow eyes and the gentle darker purple patterns running down her Lekku.

"Hello," I greeted warmly as I sat across from her. I wanted to be nice to the Padawan, besides, I was feeling pretty lonely myself while on leave here. My master had opened up to me on the _Sage_ but, despite that, our experiences together have been uneventful and, with her being busier than I was, I was left to my own devices for much of the leave so far. Just because we were on leave from the front lines didn't mean that we were entirely free to ourselves and Master Avdune, as usual, was tasked with far more activities than I was. I assumed it was because she was a master.

"Oh! Hi there!" the Twi'Lek looked up in surprise and couldn't help but smile, she was clearly a nice girl and didn't want to be alone. I glanced at her rations, she seemed to be quite a heavy-eater despite being shorter and thinner than even I was. She saw what I was looking at and offered me some of her food but I politely refused, I wasn't hungry, just amused at her appetite.

"My name is Zaliza Vyvan, I'm a Padawan." I introduced myself not a moment later. My hood was down and my straight black hair was tucked behind my ears, and down into my robes below my hood. I could cut my hair shorter, but I didn't really want to. I had been letting it grow out recently and I found myself rather liking it, even if my hair did spend most of its time below my hood and stuffed into the back of my robes. I briefly considered taking some of my hair and putting it over the front of my shoulder like Lady Attam did with two of her tattooed head-tails on either side of her head, but I didn't think that Master Avdune would appreciate it if I took fashion cues from a Sith, especially given my admittedly dark complexion to begin with. Still, I thought it looked good on Phanza, even if I probably shouldn't admit that about a Sith. The woman knew what she was doing and I suppose that it made sense that a woman like that what open even a Jedi's eyes to her sexuality. It is hard not to see an attraction to women when faced with Lady Attam. She may be evil and she is definitely trying to turn me to the Dark Side, but she is also fiercely intelligent, beautiful, and self-confident. It is hard not to find those qualities attractive.

"I'm Thonna Ai'sunn, also a Padawan. I only just became one and I felt a bit awkward after my master told me that he couldn't come with me to lunch, so I'm glad you came along." Thonna flashed me a nice smile and I found myself grinning too. I didn't have many friends amongst my fellow Padawans and I could very easily see myself becoming friends with this girl. The question is...did I want to? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with her or even me, the circumstances are the problem. Becoming friends with her opens up a path to pain and loss because of this war. I don't want to befriend her just to see her injured or killed on her first assignment. It was a mean thing to think but I don't think that Thonna would have become a Padawan already if not for the war. I am sure that she is my age or only slightly younger in age, but she seems younger in personality. We may be the same age, but I think most would think of me more as an adult and her more as a child. Though that didn't mean that either of us should have anything to do with this war. Being perceived as an adult does not mean that I have what it takes to cope with this war and I don't think that I ever will. I think being a Jedi in a state of war is unnatural and I think war should never come naturally to a Jedi.

"Oh? What is your master up to?" I asked, Master Avdune was probably busy with something and she knew nothing bad was going to happen to me within the confines of the Jedi Temple - well, other than that whole hanger bombing business not too long ago, though neither of us had been around to witness that - and trusted me with a little bit of independence around here, but Thonna was literally on her first day as a Padawan. I would have thought that her master would spend time with her for the next couple of weeks, or at least least, the next few days, but he wasn't even here today.

"Oh, my master does diplomacy with the Hutts...he umm...he was actually the one to bring me back to the Temple." Thonna told me, I suppose that explained his absence. The Hutts were given a long leash during this war because we were dependent on them and the hyperlanes they controlled to fight the separatists. We have openly let them get away with a lot and our forces being distracted and stretched across the galaxy has allowed them to expand their business without or explicit permission as well. We were essentially turning a blind eye to the biggest source of spice running, arms dealing, and slavery in the whole galaxy. Once again, the war has distracted us Jedi from our true purpose and no one really seems to care.

Though there was one thing I was glad about here and that was that Thonna got the opportunity to train under the master that brought her to the Temple to begin with. I know I didn't, Master Avdune had nothing to do with bringing me to the Jedi Temple, after all, she was only a youngling when I became a part of the Jedi Order. I don't remember who brought me here and no one has ever claimed responsibility, nor do I remember anything about my life before becoming a Jedi. Though that was rather normal, very few Jedi remembered their lives before becoming Jedi and, the vast majority of the time, their memories are limited to a few flashing memories and key moments, things that have kept themselves alive as recurring thoughts or dreams.

"That's nice, my master is young, she wasn't even a Padawan when I got to the Temple. She had nothing to do with me getting here and, truth be told, I don't remember a thing about that or about my life before coming here." I relayed my thoughts to Padawan Ai'sunn. I wasn't sure why I was willing to open up to a complete stranger so easily, maybe Ullara's confession but me in a good mood. I would have confessed something to Master Avdune herself but the only things she didn't already know about me were that Phanza was trying to turn me over to the Dark Side and that she was doing it by communicating through the Force, and I didn't want to tell her about that because the last thing I wanted to do was make a small confession about something manageable and see it spiral into the event that sparked war between The Galactic Republic and The Grand Duchy of Taaszon.

"That's not too bad, sometimes not knowing is better." Thonna looked away and stopped eating for a long while, I didn't want to disturb her. It was clear that she was thinking about something intensely personal and traumatizing. My social skills were hardly developed, but even I knew that, if she wanted to tell me, she would when she was ready. Poking and prodding now would just pressure her and likely force her away. If I wanted to forge a friendship with another Padawan, despite the risk of losing her, I needed to know when to listen and when to talk to her. Maybe a friendship was exactly what I needed to cope with war, perhaps the fear of losing her paled in comparison to the mental benefit of having a friend in a time like this.

"I was born a slave." Thonna finally admitted. I reached out and rested my hand on hers, we locked eyes. She was such a nice girl, she was so excited to become a Jedi, and she was so happy to finally maybe make a friend, but beneath that, I could see the scars that never quite healed. I knew that they hit and even whipped her, I knew that she had to watch her mother dance for Hutts and their horrible clientele, and I knew that her mother had to do more than just dance. The worst part is that she and I both knew that, if the Jedi didn't find her, Thonna would likely have to do those same awful things as her mother did. Thinking about that and bringing together the fact that her master who found her also handled diplomacy with the Hutts, that raised one important question, a question that I think I already knew the answer to. A question that would be absolutely break my heart.

"Your mother...is she still...?" I had a hard time asking the question but Thonna did not hesitate to answer. Though after hearing her answer, I kind of wished she had hesitated just a bit, maybe that would have hurt less.

"Yes." Thonna needed a minute after that, she took deep breaths and I squeezed her hand to remind her that I was still there. The moment had the unintended side-effect of letting the horrifying implications truly sink in for me before she continued "My master told me that it was hard enough to convince the Hutts to give me up, there was nothing he could do about my mother without making the Hutts angry with the Republic."

"It's not right Thonna. The Jedi should fight slavery and persecution whether it exists, not fighting against secessionists." I knew that Count Dooku and his master were behind the separatists, but it didn't seem to matter much to begin with. We were ready to declare war on the separatists long before we found out that Count Dooku was a Sith, the Clone Army was proof of that. The Jedi Council made it very clear that the clones were necessary for the war and that we weren't supposed to question them after so many of their brothers died saving the Jedi on Geonosis, especially because countless clones had died in battle since then to defend their Jedi Generals, but clones only age twice as fast as regular humans. The math doesn't add up.

I got up and walked around the table to comfort Thonna, putting my arm around the Twi'Lek and letting her cry. Some masters glanced disapprovingly at the violet-skinned girl's emotional outburst but I ignored them, she had a hard life and the Jedi saved her only to leave her mother behind to that terrible fate. The worst part is that this is not the first time something like this has happened. Master Skywalker rarely talks about his past but there have been enough rumors going around ever since he got here that he was too old and too attached to his slave mother, rumors which Master Skywalker always sought to put an end to immediately, but they came up enough times and I couldn't simply dismiss it as a coincidence anymore. The Jedi were willing to dive headfirst into a war against Count Dooku and the separatists, but we weren't willing to do anything when it comes to ending slavery in the galaxy. I guess we aren't peacekeepers after all. Maybe it was all just propaganda to justify why we entered this war which we so obviously did not belong in.

* * *

_"The Jedi are liars Zaliza, even you can't deny that after what happened to that little wretch and her mother." _Phanza sneered at me through the Force while I was trying to go to sleep, I opened my eyes and saw Lady Attam smirking at me once again, this time, she was sat crosslegged, levitating ever so slightly above an outdoor meditation pad. I guess the Force connection was growing stronger because once again I was able to identify this as a section of Phanza's castle. I could also see more of my surroundings. The castle was a tall and fortified structure built into a set of snow covered mountains on a world I could tell was Taaszon despite never being there. There was a city in the distance and a massive citadel reaching high into the clouds - I didn't need the knowledge of the Force connection to tell that _that _was the real palace of Taaszon. That is where the Grand Duchess is. Of course, the fact that I knew what Taaszon looked like didn't actually help me with anything, I still didn't know where Taaszon was or how to get there.

Still, the fact that I knew the Force connection was growing stronger and the fact that I had the plan to use it to learn more about Taaszon helped. I knew I could eventually get the answers Master Avdune and I failed to find in person.

The Sith Lord evidently didn't have much to say because her image faded away, leaving me to try and fall back asleep. I wish it were that simple, but Phanza really was getting to me now. She was right, the Jedi lied whenever they said that we were agents of peace because we seem so much more interested in fighting this war against the separatists than we ever were in ending the Hutts and their slave empire. Sure once a long time ago we crushed Zygerria and its slave empire, but all we really did there was wipe out the Hutts' competition. If that was true? Was the rest of it true?

* * *

Okie dokie, wow, this chapter ended up being longer than I expected but I have no problems with that. This chapter was meant to be a bit of a breather episode before we get into the second half of act one, but there was some heavy stuff here. This story is a T rating now but it is a hard T and it will be upped to a M by chapter eleven, if not earlier. I have plans for this story, let me know if you guys want me to go straight to act two after this.

Anyway, ciao!


	6. Peacekeepers and Slavers

Alright so chapter five had a good release and I even got my first review on this story - much appreciated - and I am quite excited for season seven of Clone Wars after that latest trailer. I am still not sure what exactly I will be writing after this story, but if I decide that I don't want to start anything new and it ends up between this and Berserkers, I will probably choose this, unless of course there are real fans of Berserkers who show me that the story deserves act one sooner rather than later. Anyway, now lets move on to this chapter. There will be a bounty hunter in this chapter and it will be an OC, I toyed around with making it a canon bounty hunter but, while I don't think we will see much of the bounty hunters in season seven, I don't want to write something only for it to be shot down half a month later by canon. With that, here we go with chapter six.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter VI.

Peacekeepers and Slavers.

* * *

The rest of our leave had thankfully been much less eventful. I found myself becoming somewhat of a friend to Thonna and I was beginning to enjoy the violet-skinned Twi'Lek's company. I also managed to spend the rest of my leave without being contacted by Phanza through the Force, something which I suppose was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it meant that I didn't have to put up with the Sith and her attempts to convert me to the Dark Side, on the other hand, it meant that I didn't have a chance to try and refine my abilities through the link in order to find Lady Attam and thus find Taaszon, the homeworld of this particular group of Sith. In any case, it seems I would have to figure that out on my own time because, now that our leave was over, Master Avdune and I were being summoned in front of the Jedi Council, no doubt for another assignment.

"Any idea where we're going? I hope it's not Felucia again..." I asked my master. I understood that no matte where we were going to get sent we would see the horrors of war or the detrimental effect this war has even on populations that have nothing to do with the fighting itself, but Felucia is different. Worlds like Felucia, Saleucami, and Ryloth have felt the brunt of this cursed war and have the scars to prove it. Truly heartbreaking things have happened on other planets, but there is nothing quite as gut-wrenching as leading a battalion of clones through a battlefield where their brothers' corpses are literally covered in the overgrowth of alien plants. Felucia has been a battleground for far too long and it seems it will be until this war finally ends...if it ends that is.

"I don't know apprentice, though I will say that I don't want to be on Felucia either. Now, let's find out just what the Council has in mind for us." Master Avdune smiled before we entered the Council Chamber. I wondered if Ullara was up to something, she has been opening up to me more lately but she also seems quite strict when it comes to questioning the Jedi. I think she does legitimately like me and she is happy to have me as her Padawan, but she doesn't quite know how to teach - after all, that would be consistent with the fact that I know she's inexperienced - so she isn't quite sure how to react to me questioning the Jedi. The truth is, I don't know if Ullara has been a part of the Jedi Order for long enough to know the answers to some of the questions I've asked her. Ullara doesn't want me to question the Jedi because she is not equipped to guide me through it as a master. She is an excellent teacher and mentor when it comes to battle and even with the Force, but with Jedi scripture? She doesn't have the answers I want and confronting that will only make Master Avdune feel inadequate - I'm not quite sure what I want to accomplish by questioning the Jedi other than an ambition to improve the Order - but I know that making my master feel inadequate is certainly not my intention. I shook those thoughts away and focused on the Council in front of us. It seemed that Master Windu would be speaking.

"Master Avdune, Padawan Vyvan." Master Windu greeted "You have performed admirably at Felucia and your experiences on the Sith worlds has given us a valuable insight on a potential ally...and a potential enemy. We were going to send you and your clones back into battle but, given your shortened leave and valiant service, we have found a better solution. The 1204th Clone Battalion will remain on leave here on Coruscant while the two of you accompany Master Towaan and his apprentice, Padawan Ai'sunn on a special mission."

"Very well, what is this mission?" Master Avdune asked. Padawan Ai'sunn was Thonna Ai'sunn, my newfound friend. I suspected that her master told her that they were going on a special assignment and required another pair of Jedi, Thonna then recommended us. I was hardly mad, in fact, I was glad to see that the clones were getting some more much needed rest. That being said, Thonna told me that Master Towaan was our diplomat to the Hutts, I had to say that I wasn't exactly eager to see the Hutts. They were responsible for so much pain and suffering throughout the galaxy and, not only were we turning a blind eye to it, we were pretty much sanctioning it due to our alliance with the Hutts. The fact that the Hutts still owned Thonna's mother - assuming she's still alive that is - only made my opinion of them worse. The Hutts were cruel monsters and I had to imagine meeting with them would be less than pleasant.

"A bounty hunter, Exiim Abarghe, has long worked with Count Dooku and has intimate knowledge of the separatists command structure. His links run deeper than even the likes of Cad Bane - Exiim wasn't at the Box - but it seems that they have had a falling out. He approached the Hutts for sanctuary in neutral space and he's been hiding ever since. His knowledge of the separatist cause could be invaluable to ending this war." Master Kenobi explained, apparently his bounty hunter was bad news and he worked closely with the upper echelons of separatist leadership. I definitely understood why the Republic wanted to capture him. One thing I did not understand, however, is that the Hutts agreed to protect him. If we are allies with the Hutts, then surely they are obligated to let us know when they have the chance to influence events directly involved in the war. There is no way that the Hutts were unaware of Exiim's past links to the separatists and surely they would realize that we wanted the bounty hunter for questioning if nothing else. This alliance seemed very lopsided.

"Meet Master Master Towaan you will. In orbit over Nar Shaddaa, he is." Master Yoda told us. Nar Shaddaa was a moon over the Hutt capital word of Nal Hutta. Hutta being a vile swamp world full of the heavy industrial facilities that made the Hutts so rich to begin with, tends to not be very welcoming of visitors. Nar Shaddaa, the city-moon of Hutta, presents a superficially more welcoming face. In reality, Nar Shaddaa is a cesspit of excess, depravity, and vice. The moon was a world of gambling, slavery, prostitution, spice trading, and crimes I don't even want to know about. Nar Shaddaa was the public face of the Hutts, but it wasn't exactly a good one - though given how eager the Republic and the Jedi are to humor the Hutts, perhaps they didn't feel the need to present a good public face to begin with. This was not exactly a pleasant task, but perhaps, being far away from the battlefield and having Thonna along with Master Avdune for company will make all of this that much more bearable. I could only hope so.

"Very well Masters, we shall depart at once." Master Avdune and I bowed our heads before leaving the Council Chamber. We had our new assignment and we had a trip to Hutt Space ahead of us.

* * *

A red, matte black, and purple Delta 7B Aethersprite-class Jedi Interceptor sat in front of me in the Jedi Temple Hanger. Next to it was my master's fighter. Another Delta 7B, hers was primarily a dark green with white and lighter green trim. We were taking these ships to Nar Shaddaa. There was no sense in dragging out the _Sage_ just to bring a pair of Jedi to a distant world. Of course, there were two other components necessary to fly these all the way to Hutt Space. The first of these was a hyperdrive ring. These rings, currently in orbit around Coruscant, allowed our ships to retain hyperspace capability without sacrificing compact size of maneuverability. The second component was an astromech droid. The original Delta 7 could not accommodate a traditional astromech, instead using a bespoke model, however, the 7B is designed to take a standard, factory line droid.

"Hello R9!" I greeted my droid. R9-W3 was a purple and white astromech and an honorary member of the 1204's W Squadron. He was a good little droid and an excellent pilot - certainly a lot better than I was - if I ever ended up getting involved in a space battle, there is no droid I would want more. R9 beeped merrily in reply, greeting my master and I. I knelt down in front of him before continuing on "We have a mission to Nar Shaddaa, just my master and I. I need you to fly me there and then back here once we're done? Can you do that?"

R9 beeped in the affirmative before using his rockets to propel himself up in the air. The astromech slowly deactivated his thrusters to gently lower himself down into his socket directly in front of the cockpit. I followed his lead and sat down in the pilot's seat. I watched first as Ullara and her droid lifted off and left the hanger before R9 took control. I strapped in as we flew out of the hanger and into the skies of Coruscant. We caught up with my master before the two of us flied off to space together. I was comfortable enough on ships but being in the pilot's seat felt different. I knew that R9 was in control but at any moment I could jerk the wheel and slam into Master Avdune's fighter. She would go crashing out of control while I would careen through the skies as my damage ship searched for a piece of ground to crash into. The fact that I could take control frightened me. That meant that, whatever happened to this ship, I was responsible for it.

Fortunately and perhaps expectedly, nothing had gone wrong on the Republic homeworld and we reached orbit without incident. I eased my fighter into the matching red, black, and purple ring and felt it clamp down securely on my little winglets. The hyperspace rings were circular devices with an engine on either side. They were compatible with both versions of the Delta 7 fighter as well as the slightly newer Eta-2 Actic-class Jedi Interceptor. Once Master Avdune and I were securely in our rings, our droids punched in the coordinates for Nal Hutta and we journeyed deep into Hutt Space. We were going to the Hutts' core system itself and, on the moon of Nar Shaddaa, we would be as close to the heart of the Hutt criminal empire as our hyperspace rings were to Coruscant.

R9 punched in the coordinates and I watched as the lightspeed lever automatically moved forward. I felt the sudden jerk as we were launched into hyperspace. I watched as the many stars all around the galaxy were distorted into flowing blue light, a result of us travelling faster than the light. Suddenly, the journey from Coruscant to Nal Hutta, a journey across the galaxy, could be done with incredible speed. The galaxy has so much technology and so much potential, yet all we choose to do with that technology and potential is squander it all on war. The separatists have legions of easily programmed machines that could be converted to manual labor - it would eliminate galactic slavery in a day and give the likes of the Trade Federation and the Techno Union a new market to exploit, meanwhile, the Republic and the Kaminoans have found the secret to creating life. Clones could have massive potential and yet we use those clones as disposable warriors. It all felt so wrong and so unfair. Perhaps it wasn't the Jedi who lost their war, perhaps the whole damn galaxy did.

* * *

We left our hyperspace rings in orbit over Nar Shaddaa as our ships flew down to the surface of the city-planet. R9 controlled the ship and fallowed Master Avdune as she led us to the landing pad where we would meet Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn. All around us were towering monoliths and colorful holographic billboards. A garish thirty-story screen showing a Twi'Lek dancing in silhouette filled my view only to be replaced by a Huttese pleasure yacht hovering across our path. Master Avdune and I stopped abruptly to allow the pleasure yacht to pass. The rules on Nar Shaddaa were simple - the Hutts got their way, always. They would not have stopped for us and the Hutts would be more concerned with the scratches to their yacht than the pair of the destroyed Jedi fighters flung to the ground far, far below. Once the floating barge of sin passed, R9 brought me in for my final landing.

We touched down next to a pair of Eta-2 starfighters and found the other pair of Jedi. The violet-skinned Twi'Lek Jedi smiled at me. Thonna was dressed in a dark brown robe with a bluish-white tunic below. She had a single-bladed lightsaber on her hip. Next to her, stood a tall Ithorian male with a mechanical translator attached to either side of his head. Ithorians were a rather alien race and they couldn't speak Basic. Though I would not be surprised if the translation device was more to humor the Hutts and their clientele rather than for Master Towaan's fellow Jedi. The Jedi understood that we recruited children from thousands of different species spread across countless cultures and countless worlds. Not every Jedi was able to speak Basic and many were downright physically unable to do so due to their alien physiology. Nevertheless, I was grateful that Master Towaan had the translator, I did not understand the Ithorian language and I did not want to have to waste time by asking Thonna or Ullara to translate for me.

"Greetings to you Master Avdune and to you Padawan Vyvan. My name is Master Samo olhe Towaan and this is my Padawan Ai'sunn. I am told that our Padawans have become friends already." the Ithorian greeted. His speech mannerisms were a bit distorted by the translator but I found him rather easy to understand. I bowed before Master Towaan and then gave Thonna a quick hug to greet her. The hug was kept very short, I considered her a friend already and I did like to comfort her, however, I did not want our masters to think we were forming an attachment. I told my Master about my urges and Thonna definitely was an attractive girl, I didn't want a relationship, I was a Jedi after all, but I knew that too much affection could be misconstrued as something romantic. Some particularly pious Jedi would say that even friendship is a form of attachment. I doubted that Master Avdune would do anything to stop our friendship but I didn't know about Master Towaan. In any case, the hug was short and both the masters seemed not to notice anything strange. We got straight down to business. This bounty hunter Exiim Abarghe had knowledge that could end this war and the Hutts knew exactly where he was. We had a job to do.

"Hello Master Towaan. What's the situation?" Master Avdune asked. The Mirialan and the Ithorian began discussing while the two of us stood there quietly and obediently. We were two Padawans in the presence of two masters. It didn't matter if our two masters personally didn't care if we talked, but the Jedi Order taught us that, when our masters were speaking, we were to only speak when spoken to. I already broke that rule once recently when meeting with the Council and that was because I felt strongly about helping Phanza and her people, I was not going to break that rule just to chit-chat with Thonna while we were on a mission. I didn't like it when Master Avdune had to play the disciplinarian role and it didn't go well last time on the bridge of the _Sage_, therefore, I certainly wasn't going to give her a reason to discipline me, especially not when we were just now meeting Master Towaan.

"I spoke with several Hutt clan leaders but they were not very forthcoming. The best I was able to get is an audience with Dalenda, a minor Hutt lieutenant. Dalenda controls the several of the rackets for gambling and bounty contracts in this sector. I am told that he knows Exiim Abarghe and that he has means of contacting him. I am confident that being confronted by four Jedi will make Dalenda speak, but I am just as confident that Dalenda will warn Exiim Abarghe the moment we leave. We will be walking into a trap." Master Towaan informed us. He was well aware of the Hutts' true nature - he knew that they were cowardly, that they were dishonest, and that they would easily sell out their allies - this was the man in charge of our relations with the Hutts. Master Towaan knew exactly who he was dealing with and yet the Jedi still found ourselves in an alliance with these creatures for no reason other than to wage war against the separatists on more and more innocent worlds. This alliance ultimately exists solely for the hyperspace lanes controlled by the Hutts. Count Dooku wished to use them against the Republic but we stopped his scheme and took them for ourselves...if we use the same plots and resources as our enemies, for how much longer will we really be able to claim that we have any real moral high ground over them? This war is only making the divide between Jedi and Sith smaller and smaller.

When we finally entered Dalenda's office meanwhile, we found that this war was only making the Hutt Empire larger and larger. Dalenda the Hutt sat on a mighty thrown, his dark bluish-green hide stained by whatever vile meal he was just eating and a collection of slave girls chained up at the foot of his throne. A black haired, beige-skinned Zabrak girl seemed like the youngest of the group, she was clearly inexperienced and very uncomfortable. Through the Force I could feel fear radiating off of her and, when she saw us Jedi, she felt hope. It broke my heart to see that hope fade away when she realized that this wasn't some sort of rescue mission - we were not here to free her and, based on what happened with Thonna's mother, Master Towaan was either unwilling or, more likely, unable to get any slave girls free without offending the Hutts. In the middle, there was a pale skinned human girl, she seemed entirely broken. She did not even look at us or even show any signs of noticing us. I suspected that she may be heavily and constantly drugged. The last one was a red-skinned Twi'Lek. This one looked experienced, hardened. She had seen every horrible Hutt and perverted monster there was and faced them all. She was numb to it.

I wondered if Thonna's mother was like that now. Just one of countless Twi'Lek slave girls who were completely and utterly empty after all the Hutts did to them. I hoped not. I had to hope that the mother of this poor girl who became a Jedi and my friend at least had an ounce of humanity left in her, that she wasn't reduced to a barely sentient object but these horrible Hutts and there equally horrible associates. I saw Master Avdune shoot a quick, worried glance at me. There were no words but I understood what she meant. I looked away from the slave girls and the Hutt and tried to quell my anger. It was unlike me. Jedi should never become angry, we have too much power for that. The combination of anger with so much power is a recipe that only leads to the Dark Side. The Jedi have fought so hard to eliminate anger that they have had to wage a war against emotion itself. It was better for Jedi to be the stoic and mysterious defenders of the galaxy than to follow their emotions down a dark path. The very dark path that Phanza Attam wanted me to follow. I felt chills when an image of Lady Attam smirking ran through my mind. I wasn't sure if that was my own reaction or Phanza tapping into our link somehow, no matter what it was, it snapped me completely out of my anger. These Hutts were disgusting and terrible but becoming like Phanza and her Sith was far, far worse.

I noticed something was amiss when there was no translator droid. Dalenda wanted to make this as hard on us as possible. That didn't seem to deter Master Towaan in the slightest though. The Ithorian used his translation device to communicate effortless in Huttese. I couldn't understand it but it definitely seemed that he was grilling the Hutt rather aggressively. Master Towaan seemed borderline angry and threatening when he was talking with the Hutts, however, I didn't actually sense any strong emotions coming off of him. I figured that this was all an act, the Ithorian was going what he needed to do in order to make these slugs speak. The Hutts liked to think that we were pacifists who would never actually attack them, but Towaan's act reminded them of the power we wielded. That seemed like the kind of thing a Sith would do. It didn't bother me as much as it should have, after all, the Hutts were slimy creatures and the Jedi was getting results.

Dalenda seemed to panic and hastily admitted something. Master Towaan seemed to ease off then, becoming downright affable. The Ithorian and a rather shocked Hutt Lieutenant exchanged goodbyes before Master Towaan turned around and left. Master Avdune followed him and then Thonna and I followed their lead. We understood that we were here to play a role. A role which, so far, amounted to intimidation. We ignore the Hutts' criminal activity and then we come around here occasionally and have to all but force them to give only a basic favor in return. Not only was this alliance unfair, but it was very befitting of the Jedi. We were allowing atrocities and we were resorting to threats, this certainly wasn't the way of peacekeepers.

"Exiim Abarghe has been hidden here on Nar Shaddaa in a Hutt safe house, they were waiting for the right time to move them. We must hurry, Dalenda will be notifying him now." Master Towaan explained as we rushed to our fighters. I got into him and relayed the situation to R9 while Thonna boarded to blue, silver, and purple Eta-2 Actic fighter while Master Towaan got into the white and brown fighter. The Ithorian in his starfighter lead the way as the four of us rushed across the skies of Nar Shaddaa. We dodged towers, walkways, tunnels, speeders, and starships as we attempted to catch Exiim Abarghe before he could escape the moon. There is no telling where he would go once he got off this planet. The Hutts probably had an idea of where they wanted to send him, but that isn't very helpful. First of all, getting that information out of the Hutts would be like pulling teeth, second of all, even if we did get that information out of the Hutts, they would no doubt inform Exiim just like Dalenda just did, finally, there's no telling if Exiim would even trust the Hutts after they already sold him out once. Abarghe was smart enough to escape the wrath of Count Dooku, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to never trust the Hutts again.

"Master Towaan, you and Thonna take the right entrance, we'll take the left. We'll box Abarghe in." Master Avdune decided as we split into two groups. I followed my master as we landed on a pad on the left. I looked over to the other pad where the other Jedi landed. The wide entrance to the hanger separated us. The hanger was currently shut and that suggested we had a chance. The hanger was shut and we had Jedi on both of the landing pads. We didn't know how this hanger was configured, but we had to imagine that we were leaving the bounty hunter with very few opportunities to escape. My master grabbed her lightsaber but did not ignite it - she wanted to be ready for whatever trap Exiim Abarghe had waiting for us. I followed her lead and held my double-bladed lightsaber at the ready. We gathered at the door and prepared to enter when my Mirialan master turned to me for just a moment.

"Bounty Hunters are a dangerous lot. Exiim Abarghe will try and kill you. You must not stoop to his level - his information will be invaluable and you know as well as I do that killing him is not the Jedi way. We must be vigilant and we must be careful." Master Avdune warned and I nodded. With that, she opened the door and lit her lightsaber when she realized the hallway was empty and the lights were deactivated. She bathed the hallway in green light as well followed it into the hanger. There were no traps in this hallway and I figured that, with the lights off and no trap to be found yet, the bounty hunter had something waiting for us in the hanger itself. We went down a staircase and around a ninety degree bend to the right before finding ourselves in a large hanger. The lights were still off but we could tell that there was a ship in the distance and an armored man standing in front of it. I felt that there was something in the shadows against the wall but I couldn't identify it quite yet. I activated my double-bladed purple lightsaber and soon felt comforted when a pair of blue lightsabers activated on the opposite end of the room - Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn joined us.

We decided to join the other pair of Jedi before approaching Exiim Abarghe. The darkness, the strange feeling in the shadows, and Master Towaan's prediction meant that we were well aware that we were walking into a trap. We felt a lot more comfortable walking into a trap as four Jedi rather than as two groups who could be separated and isolated. The shadowed figure that we assumed was Exiim Abarghe slowly raised his arm and pressed something on his wrist. Suddenly, the lights came on and the hanger door started to open, meanwhile, the ship behind him roared to life, ready to fly off at a moment's notice. The lights revealed Exiim Abarghe in a full set of green body armor broken up by a black wrap-around visor where his eyes would be. Along the walls of the room were ten Super Battle Droids on either side, all of them painted the same shade of green and reprogrammed. It seems that the bounty hunter took some parting gifts from the separatists. The bounty hunter lowered his arm and reached for the pistol at his hip. There were still four Jedi here, but we didn't quite have the advantage we wanted to have given that we were confronted with twenty elite droids and an armed and armored bounty hunter ready to escape at a moment's notice.

"We do not have to fight Exiim. We are not here to kill you." Master Towaan tried to reason to the bounty hunter, I doubted it was going to work. Abarghe didn't even react but the Ithorian decided to try once more "We know that you and the separatists are no longer allied together. The fact that these droids are reprogrammed is proof enough of that. All we want is your knowledge of the separatists. Surely you would be willing to inform us on your former employers given this bad blood. Especially if the Republic was willing to pay a premium for good information!"

"You are not in a position to bargain. I am leaving this moon Jedi." Exiim replied simple before firing one shot in the air, that seemed to be a signal for his battle droids. The twenty of them opened fire and we could barely even damage to repel their fire. All four of us were far too distracted to do anything about the bounty hunter even though we could all see that he has getting away. We had a more pressing matter on our hands.

I redirected a laser bolt at one of the droids and that gave me an opening to Force push another one into the wall behind him. The impact was enough to deactivate the droid and it compromised their line. Thonna and I focused on one half of the droids while our masters took on the other. We ran towards the remaining eight droids on our side, blocking laser bolts as we ran when Master Avdune gave her Ithorian counterpart an opening. She was using the Force to hold a group of battle droids in the air, giving Master Towaan a chance to throw a long range tracker on the bounty hunter's ship. Exiim Abarghe then flew away, released a blast from his afterburners that knocked us all off balance. Master Avdune stumbled and dropped the droids she was hold while Thonna and I fell from our run onto the ground. I spun to the right and got into a kneeling position as quickly as I could, bringing up both blades of my lightsaber to cover me. Padawan Ai'sunn, however, pulled herself back into a run, taking advantage of the fact that most of the droids opted to focus on me when I got into my new position. I deflected bolts and distracted the droids while Thonna began to cut them down.

Two droids fell before these reprogrammed Super Battle Droids realized what was going on. One unit turned to confront the violet-skinned Twi'Lek but, in doing so, he left himself vulnerable to me. I threw that droid against the hanger wall before rushing into the fray. I swung the upper purple blade throw another droid's torso while using my right leg to kick another, staggering the robot. I then used the upper blade again to cut its legs out from under it before killing it with my lower blade. I then plunged my weapon into the chest of a third droid, killing it. Thonna meanwhile used the Force to throw a droid's arm off target, causing the B2 to accidentally shoot its companion dead. The Twi'Lek Padawan's lightsaber then chopped the droid's arm off entirely before cutting its torso in half horizontally, bringing the droid down. That brought an end to our side of the hanger and we turned around only to see Master Avdune and Master Towaan wrapping up their side. We all turned off our lightsabers and gathered in the center of the room. The Ithorian pulled out a datapad to check what his tracker was seeing.

"Exiim Abarghe is in hyperspace, I cannot establish an effective connection with the tracker. We will have to wait until he emerges." Master Towaan explained. Our trackers were good but they could not actually track a ship in hyperspace, we could only find one again once it was out of hyperspace, meaning that we would have to make the journey ourselves. That meant that we would arrive hours behind our prey who very well may have made a second jump in that time. Nevertheless, no ship could keep going forever and we would find the bounty hunter again eventually. His information on the separatists could be invaluable to ending this war. Something we could have done far earlier had Dalenda the Hutt not warned Exiim immediately. This alliance, an alliance very much misguided to begin with, was now actively interfering with our ability to create peace in this galaxy once more. We could only hope that Dalenda selling out Abarghe to begin with will make the bounty hunter distrustful of the Hutts, at least that way, we won't have to put up with their double-dealing and dishonesty for any longer. A bounty hunter had got away and we would leave Nar Shaddaa empty-handed, all the while, the Hutt Lieutenant who caused all of this was still sitting in his office, surrounded by his slaves. Dalenda sent four Jedi into a trap and he would feel no repercussions for it.

* * *

Our four starfighters were refueling at a Republic space station near the border with Hutt Space when I heard Phanza's evil silk voice in my head once again. The Sith appeared in my vision, this time, she was meditating on-board the _Ultimate_.

_You could have killed that Hutt and freed his slaves. Think about how grateful they would have been, think about how many girls you would have saved from a life of slavery. Girls just like you or I. _Of course Lady Attam would want me to kill the Hutt, she knew that such a murder would not only be against the Jedi way but also harmful to the Republic. I also knew that she was wrong. Killing a single Hutt, especially not a mere Lieutenant, would not end slavery in the galaxy. I knew these thoughts were wrong, but what scared me is that I had been thinking them before Lady Attam reached out to me.

I shook my head, this wasn't like me. I didn't like war and I certainly didn't like vengeance. The Hutt was a vile creature but it was not my place to kill him. Killing him was what Phanza wanted - killing him would be a step towards the Dark Side. I let those thoughts fade away, glad that I wouldn't ever see Dalenda again. It was easier not to dwell on these thoughts when I knew they would never confront me again.

* * *

Alright, hope you enjoyed chapter six!


	7. The Hunter and The Hunted

Hello guys! Chapter seven is, out of happy coincidence, being uploaded the same day as Clone Wars season seven drops. I am incredibly excited to see the season and where it goes. This isn't a Star Wars: The Clone Wars fanfiction per se but starting in the same era as the cartoon and being a fan of the series, I can't help but reference the series. In any case, I'm sure we're all excited and I hope it goes well - I think we all could use some positivity in the Star Wars fandom right now - but here we are with chapter seven.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter VII.

The Hunter and The Hunted.

* * *

_You limit __yourself, why? You have power within yourself, power than can finally end the separatists and bring about your so-called peace. _Phanza Attam continued to harass me through the link we shared in the Force. Master Avdune and I were still at the Republic Outpost with Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn even though our ships had already refueled. Master Towaan's tracker would not kick in until Abarghe was back out of hyperspace and we could hardly guess where he would be going. Master Towaan was considering contacting the Hutts to grill them for information again but I doubted that would lead anywhere, grilling them to begin with only got us an audience with a minor lieutenant who allowed Exiim Abarghe to spring a trap on us. Now, either the stubborn and stupid Hutts would pull off a similar stunt or Abarghe would cut ties with them altogether, seeing that, if they sent us into a trap, he could not trust them to not sell him out if offered the right price. The one saving grace of the Republic is that we tend to be cautious about giving too many credits to the Hutts, especially now when Chancellor Palpatine demands more and more economic resources for the war.

The Chancellor was an individual who should be given more thought. He was reigned longer and gained more power than anyone ever thought he would but it never seems to be enough for him. I do not entirely trust his clueless old man doing what's best for the Republic routine. Perhaps he truly is doing what he thinks is right for his civilization, but that does not make it right. The Republic is a democracy, not some sort of enlightened despotate. Despotism may be the way of the Sith and it may be what the people of The Grand Duchy of Taaszon want, but that does not mean it is right for the Republic. Palpatine, it seems, either does not understand that or does not care. So perhaps he is deceiving me. Phanza also insists that the Jedi Order is deceiving me. I do not agree with that, though given some of the business involving the Hutts, that statement may be technically true. There is one more thing to all this. Lady Attam insists that the Jedi Order knows my true nature or something like that - perhaps that is wishful thinking on her part, assuming that I am, for whatever reason, predisposed towards the Dark Side - but if, theoretically, the Jedi are deceiving me and Palpatine is deceiving me, does that mean the Chancellor is aware of this true nature?

Of course, when I actually have questions she could answer, Phanza is completely silent through the bond. I would assume that the Chancellor is not aware of this, after all, if this is something a Sith sees within me that is supposed to make me predisposed to the Dark Side, it would surely have something to do with the Force. The Chancellor is a plain human male, he doesn't have the Force and, beyond some potentially extreme political ideas possessing too much power for too much time, the man is harmless. This does not really get me anywhere. Phanza's assertions are vague enough that the Chancellor and the Jedi could be deceiving me over the same issue, different issues, or any number of issues. I hope that the red-skinned Nautolan thought more of me than thinking I am some sort of moron who would fall to the Dark Side because of some vague assertions and promises of some sort of power.

Lady Attam is a powerful woman, there is no denying that. She is a master with Force Lightning and she has demonstrated that countless times on Imperius Prime and Acina. Powerful and skilled with a lightsaber she may be, but that power and that skill can never justify that evil...nor is it something that I particularly want. I don't want to be some sort of mystical sorceress casting spells throughout the galaxy, I just want to be a peacekeeper. The Force means nothing to me if I cannot use it to make the galaxy a better place. I want to make sure that no girl has to go through what Thonna and her mother went through in the chains of the Hutts, I want to make sure that disagreements between systems never again escalate into an outright Galactic Civil War between separatists and those loyal to the Republic, and I want to make sure that every world can prosper as much as Coruscant.

_How cute, you still think you can make a difference. You are only a Jedi because of your power. As one of us, you could be so much more. Entire systems would bow to your will, war and conquest along your borders will bring peace and prosperity to the heart of the galaxy, and you will have finally reclaimed your birthright. You may not even know what you are, but you are destined for more than this. _Phanza whispered through my mind before retreating back to her own business. Keeping the connection as dull as it could possibly be. Her presence, which had just been filling my head, turned into something that was barely there, something which I would miss if I were not already aware of it. Her voice almost sounded like it was full of admiration there, I must have misheard that. It is possible that Phanza might be trying to flatter me over to the Dark Side, but, quite frankly, that sounds ridiculous. She is a hard woman to predict. The Sith noblewoman was still on my mind when I sensed Padawan Ai'sunn approaching, but I was quick to clear my head and focus instead on speaking with Thonna.

I liked the violet-skinned Twi'lek girl. She was a nice and meek girl, the fact that she was attractive certainly did not hurt - though of course, I did not want to pursue a relationship with her, that would only complicate our friendship and, more importantly, our role as Jedi - and she definitely seemed happy to have a friend to talk to. Thonna comes from a tragic backward and her role as a Jedi has meant that she has had to repress her emotions and could never ever check if her mother was still alive, let alone contact her. This was all out of fear of the Dark Side...but is fear itself not a path of the Dark Side? I think letting go of that fear and venting those emotions away before they could manifest themselves negatively is not only healthier, but also a much more effective way of keeping Jedi away from the Dark Side. I know that a close friendship could be seen as a form of attachment, but I want a closer friendship with Thonna. I want to help her cope with her past and, maybe, one day she could help my cope with my growing doubts and disagreements with the Jedi Council.

"Hello Zaliza," my fellow Padawan greeted me warmly, she sat down next to me. We were sitting near a view port looking out to the cosmos just outside - our masters were watching over our ships waiting to get a signal from the tracker - they would contact us on our holocommunicators once they got word. Exiim Abarghe was out there, somewhere, amongst those stars. He had the information to end this war and he chose not to do it - why? Virtually every star in the galaxy has worlds orbiting around it that have become battlefields in the Clone Wars. I understood that he was a bounty hunter and thus his moral compass is different than mine, but the separatists wronged him and want him dead - surely he would see giving us information as merely getting revenge on Count Dooku for betraying him, right? My frustration with this must have been showing on my face because Thonna noticed "What's got you troubled?"

"I don't understand why Abarghe is running. All we want to do is get his information and end this war. Immoral bounty hunter or not, surely he can see that the galaxy is suffering!" I objected. People suffer as their planets are torn apart by war, people suffer as their planets are exploited to fuel the war effort on both sides, people suffer as their freedoms and democracy are slowly torn away from them by the Chancellor. The galaxy is not a good place right now. The Republic's people are being taxed heavily so they cannot afford to pay bounty hunters while the separatists not only face the same issue, but their currency is in free fall anyway ever since Chancellor Palpatine seized control of the banks. That economic move means that our enemies will be getting desperate and that means a rash and alarming action is on the horizon. This is an action that Exiim Abarghe may even know about - in fact, it is entirely possible that the bounty hunter knew too much and Count Dooku betrayed him in order to eliminate loose ends. The separatists may be in the endgame now - they are going to make one last desperate move to win the war before their legs are pulled out from under them. If this assumption is true, that only makes our mission that much more important.

"The Hutts thrive on suffering. They have only gotten richer and stronger because of this war. They expanded their borders and earn fortunes taxing the Republic on their hyperspace lanes. Abarghe is of that environment. You'll never understand him and - thanks to the Jedi - neither will I." Thonna replied, trying to comfort me. I did indeed appreciate it, it is easy to have someone who I can talk to without fear that I am doing to disappoint them. Master Avdune is not the perfect master but she has an excellent Jedi and I want her to one day become an excellent master, therefore, I am trying to be the best apprentice I can be for her so she has the best reputation possible as she takes on a second Padawan. Training her first Padawan is as much a learning experience for my young master as it is for me, I don't want to make her job harder by failing at my tasks or by troubling her with issues I should be able to handle on my own. I cannot tell her about Phanza because of not only what would happen to The Grand Duchy of Taaszon and its people but because my master would then be confronted with having to deal with an apprentice who has had extended contact with a verified Sith Lord. I will not share my concerns over the Jedi with her either, I have troubled her enough with those already and she has either been unwilling or unable to give answers anyway.

"Thank you Thonna, I appreciate-" I was responding to Thonna when we both felt beeps coming from our holocommunicators. Our conversation ceased and we both watched as I activated mine. A message popped up from Master Avdune to come to meet her and Master Towaan immediately. We assumed that Thonna got the same message and rushed to meet our masters, wondering what this was about. The fact that it was a mere message through text rather than a call suggests it is urgent, but if it was about Exiim Abarghe, surely the message would have said so. It was definitely not about the bounty hunter on the run because as we entered the hanger and found the Mirialan and the Ithorian watching a video report from an emergency session of the Jedi Council. Padawan Ai'sunn and I wordlessly joined our masters and watched the report with piqued interest, only to learn dreadful news.

"...dispatched Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker we have. Rescue the Chancellor, they must." Master Yoda reported over the call. My eyes widened, I was right, the separatists were plotting an audacious attack. Apparently General Grievous and a separatist fleet had raided Coruscant itself. The cyborg warrior himself came to the surface and kidnapped the Chancellor in a flash attack, killing a number of Jedi in the process. The Grand Navy of The Republic has engaged Grievous' fleet in the skies of Coruscant. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, both accomplish war heroes with countless victories to their name, have been chosen to spearhead the rescue mission despite their previous commitment to Mandalore. Exiim Abarghe likely knew about this. I was instantly overcome with guilt, if we had been a little bit quicker or if we had managed to capture Abarghe instead of falling for his trap, we could have warned the Chancellor and prevented this. I had suspicions about the man, but the Chancellor does not deserve to be captured and very likely tortured by such vile and evil creatures as Grievous and Dooku. We had the capacity to stop this on Nar Shaddaa and we failed, not only that, but we still don't have Abarghe.

_Oh...has your Chancellor gone missing? Don't worry little Jedi, something tells me that everything that is about to happen has already been predetermined. _I saw Phanza mocking me through our bond, but I could sense something more than that. I could sense fear. That was very unlike Phanza. I saw how powerful she was, I would be shocked if she wasn't more than capable of stopping Grievous and very likely Dooku as well. Lady Attam is a deadly woman and whatever made her scared was something truly terrifying. That being said, fear did not match her words. She tells me not to worry about that everything has been predetermined, but if that is the case, why would she be worried. Unless she is not the one who has predetermined it...

"Remain on your mission, the Chancellor's rescue is in the best hands for the job. If the separatists have grown this bold, we need Abarghe's information now more than ever." Master Windu's authoritative voice snapped me out of my thoughts and Lady Attam seemed rather busy herself as the Sith Nautolan made no further attempt to contact me or push me towards the Dark Side. We were Jedi and we would play our role. I just hope that Master Kenobi and his former Padawan can succeed, getting Abarghe's information means little if the separatists have our head of state and potentially two Jedi as hostages. If their rescue mission fails, the separatists will have everything they need to force us to sign a humiliating treaty and lose this war. It will be peace, at least there is that, but can there really ever be peace if it is a peace determined by the Sith? After all, Count Dooku and his master follow an ideology whose first tenant is that peace is a lie. That is the very same reason why I would never fall to the Dark Side, regardless of what Lady Attam thinks, I shall not compromise my own values for power or for fancy titles or for whatever hollow nonsense she may promise me next. I am a Jedi and I am a defender of the Republic.

"Of course, masters." Master Avdune bowed and I followed her lead. The report from the Jedi Council flickered away and we were left with to wait once again, just waiting and waiting for Exiim Abarghe to appear once again. The wait seemed absolutely unbearable now that we knew that the Chancellor's life - that of the Republic's head of state - was in jeopardy. I could sense Master Avdune was in a similar mood. She was restless but didn't want to show it - the Mirialan did not want to sit by idly while she knew that the Republic's capital world itself was at risk - things would be better if we were on another mission. If we were actively fighting the war right now, we could focus on that and win battles, showing the separatists that even if they can strike Coruscant, they cannot keep up this war. I hated fighting on the battlefield, but I hated this even more. I hated having to stand here on a space station in the middle of nowhere while a man with information that could end this war was out there, free. I hated having to wait while the man who potentially knew about the raid on Palpatine was at large. I sensed guilt from the Ithorian, as if Master Towaan felt he could have done more with the Hutts. He too felt guilty over all of this.

"A signal!" Master Towaan finally exclaimed after another hour or so of endless waiting "Abarghe has arrived in orbit over the moon of Dxun. He must be attempting to hide there! We must hurry!"

The four of us sprung into action and got into our fighters. I gave him the command and R9 but in the coordinates for Dxun, the moon of Onderon. Four Jedi starfighters took off from this space station and headed for the jungle moon. Dxun was a largely deserted planet despite being habitable and of similar size to the heavily populated and important Onderon. The reasons for this are various, first of all, the jungles and mountains of Dxun make civilization difficult, second of all, those mountains are filled with vicious beasts and ghastly creatures, and third of all, the Onderonians themselves want little to do with Dxun. They are superstitious and fearful of living on the moon where the former Sith King of Onderon is buried. Perhaps rightfully so. I suppose that meant it was a perfect place for Exiim to hide, plenty of ships entered the Onderon system so his arrival would not be suspicious if we weren't tracking him, and, in sufficient tracking, a skilled pilot could slip by and end up on Dxun without drawing attention to themselves, allowing their ship to simply become lost in the dense traffic coming in and around the world ever since it had been freed from the separatists by an insurgency. The end of said insurgency produced a government willing to work with the Republic in exchange for aid, only adding to the amount of ships coming and going from the world. It was a clever plot, but the bounty hunter could do nothing against our tracker.

* * *

Exiim Abarghe clearly took a circuitous route through hyperspace to reach Onderon, attempting to throw us off his trail, but it didn't do him any good because we reached Dxun in a fraction of the lengthy time it took him to get there. We found his ship landed in a clearing of the jungle and we opted to split up once again. Master Avdune and I would come from the southeast and Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn would come from the north. We wanted to truly box him in this time. R9 dropped me off but he remained in the fighter - to ensure that Abarghe would not get away this time, our astromechs would remain in control of our fighters - even if the bounty hunter managed to get in his ship and in the air again, this time, he would be grounded by our fighters. The Chancellor himself was in jeopardy and we were not taking any more chances. We needed Abarghe alive for questioning and killing was not the Jedi way to begin with, but if the way to bring him in alive meant dragging his bruised and battered body from a crashed starship, we were willing to do so.

I activated my double-bladed purple lightsaber and Master Avdune's green blade shimmered into existence. We made our way across the jungle path and reached the clearing where Abarghe's ship sat, having not encountered any of the moon's creatures yet. Master Avdune and I separated, surrounding the vessel, peering across to see a pair of blue lightsabers on the other side - Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn joined us. My masted raised her arm and began prodding at the ship's door with the Force, attempting to force it open.

Instead, the ship exploded, blowing the four of us back. Blaster fire erupted from a nearby ridge where the bounty hunter had been waiting for us. We caught the laser bolts and tried deflecting them back at Abarghe, but it was difficult to try and hit him without killing him. Bouncing a laser beam off a lightsaber was an admittedly imprecise process. The bolt would hit exactly where we deflected it, but it was difficult to predict where exactly we would deflect it. The angle, the movement of the lightsaber, and how direct the hit was all played a role in how the laser beam reacted to the lightsaber. We were soon presented with a larger problem as the clearing was filled with vicious beasts - a pack of zakkegs and a hungry drexl - that came to feast on the commotion. I disengaged from Abarghe to cut down a pair of reptilian hounds but I was soon confronted with the drexl, the largest and most dangerous of the beasts that had flooded the clearing.

I hit at it with my lightsaber but it did little against the beast. I called Master Avdune for help. The Mirialan killed a zakkeg and flung the carcass at the drexl with all her might. I watched as the beast flinched at the contact, thinking that we managed to hurt the thing, but then the beast snarled and shrugged off the pain. All we had managed to do is make the creature angrier. The beast swung its claw at me and I ducked, forcing the upper blade of my lightsaber up in my place. I felt the blade cut through its claw and the beast made a cry, but the sickening hole in its claw still did nothing to deter the beast. It swung the outside of its mangled claw at me and used it to fling me into the remains of Exiim's ship.

My head collided against the metal and I saw stars. My vision shook and my ears rung as pain shot from my head to the rest of my blood. I laid their dumbly, I could feel nothing in my brain but rolling pain. It was as if I was unaware of my own body, let alone the Force. I came to my senses slowly. Seeing the drexl in the distance engaged in combat against my master and Master Towaan. I became aware of the hot metal behind me as parts of the ship continued to burn - thankfully not the part I was up against - but then a zakkeg filled my vision. I felt its hot, putrid breath against my skin but I could not bring my body to do anything about it, I was still unfocused and unbalanced after my impact with the ship. I tried to call on the Force but I couldn't do anything. I felt fear replace the pain in my mind as I realized this was how I was going to die, irrelevant and unknown, devoured by beasts.

The zakkeg snarled and I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming only to hear the sound of a lightsaber cutting through scales. I tore my eyes open and saw that Thonna had replaced the zakkeg. She stood over me, having just saved my life, and offered me her hand to help me up. I was about to take her hand when a missile tore through the air. Exiim Abarghe took advantage of the explosion and fired a rocket at the Twi'lek who presented herself as an obvious target by saving me. The explosion hit her straight in the gut and I managed to raise an arm to shield myself through the blow but the Twi'lek was sent flying unconscious right into the drexl. I looked around in panic, the beast had thrown my master around and now Ullara was crumpled up at the base of a tree while Master Towaan was reeling helplessly after the beast tore his arm open, blood gushing endlessly from his wound. The drexl turned Thonna around and my eyes widened as I realized what the beast was about to do. Thonna had saved my life and now she was about to get eaten by a monster.

_You are the only one that can help her. _Phanza's voice tore through my head, alerting me to the fact that I was connected with the Force once again. I did not stop to question why Lady Attam cared about me saving Thonna, instead, I focused on trying to saving my friend. I rose a hand and attempted to Force Push the beast away. The beast felt the air blowing against him, but he was so big and heavy that he stood strong. He turned to me again, seeking to eliminate this disturbance so he could feast. At least he was away from Padawan Ai'sunn now. I managed to get the monster to leave the Twi'lek alone, but, in saving her, I endangered my own life. Master Avdune and Master Towaan were incapacitated and Thonna was unconscious. I saved her, but there was no one here to save me.

_The Force is coursing through your veins, you have the power to stop this. _Phanza insisted but she was wrong. I just tried to use the Force but it didn't do any good. I wasn't in a condition to channel any more power or to do something complex like lifting the beast with the Force - that required a level of focus that I couldn't muster after getting thrown into the burning break of a ship by a deadly beast. I knew that the situation was hopeless but Lady Attam was still in my head, the Sith Lord trying to get me to save my own life. I must admit, I didn't think that she was so invested in the idea of turning me into her apprentice to actually care about me. _Raise your hand and let your care for your friends fill your mind. Your nature will save you all._

I rose my hand and followed Phanza's directions. I didn't want to follow a Sith Lord's directions but I didn't want to die either, especially because I knew that, once the beast was done with me, Ullara, Thonna, and Master Towaan were next. At first, nothing happened and the drexl was getting closer and closer, however, then something clicked. My want to save my friends mixed together with my frustrations over the Jedi and my guilt over failing to capture Exiim Abarghe and I felt an impossible amount of power coursing through my veins. I felt revitalized and I found myself rising to my fight, practically following my left hand as the power reached my fingertips and unleashed itself. I watched in horror as purple electricity left my hand and struck the beast. The drexl hollered as lightning halted it and fried his skin. I saw the pain and suffering and I knew that I was done something very, very wrong. I instantly cut off that lightning but the damage was done. The drexl fled back into the jungle and I turned to see Master Avdune pulling herself up by the bark of the tree she was thrown into. Her face was colored with fear and disappointment. I heard cackling laughter in my head as Phanza's intentions were revealed. She made me tap into the Dark Side.

The combined effect of the blow to my head, the exhaustion of doing more with the Force than I ever have before, and the realization of what I had just done all came together at once. I fainted and fell over. The last thing I saw before passing out was the red-skinned Nautolan with her large black eyes, sharp tattoos on her head-tails, and a smirk on her lips as she smirked before an elaborate throne. A red-skinned woman in black and purple robes sat on the throne. Her eyes glowed a bright red and her face had sharp, angular features and protrusions - it looked like her face itself was a weapon, covered with razor sharp protrusions that will tear apart her enemies - black hair flowed down to her shoulders. The woman appeared youthful but something about here exuded an ancient power. I faded off into unconsciousness as I believe I saw Phanza reporting her success to her master, the Grand Duchess Voytana, a woman of great power and great danger. Now, I had taken my first step to becoming someone like Lady Attam or Voytana, that was absolutely terrifying.

* * *

I woke up in a completely different environment.

I was laying in a medical berth aboard some sort of Republic vessel. Master Avdune and Thonna were with me. Ullara sat on the side of my bed, concern all over her face. She was clearly stressed out, having been confronted with her Padawan doing something completely unacceptable and then going unconscious for...I don't even know how long I've been out. Thonna was sat on a chair at the side of the birth, anxiously waiting for me to come to. Thonna did not seem to mind what I did. I could practically hear the argument in my head as Master Avdune lamented that she didn't know what to do and Thonna quietly objected that I saved their lives. I could see Master Avdune, in her disarray, snapping at the young Padawan. I imagined Thonna might reply somewhat more emphatically and openly in response, but Master Towaan would silence his Padawan. I wasn't sure if the situation actually played out that way, but from what I was able to pick up on already just as I was waking up, I could definitely see something along those lines occurring.

"She's waking up!" Thonna pointed out and Master Avdune seemed to cheer up a little bit that I was at least awake. I felt the two of them release a collective sigh of relief and I wanted to sit up. The violet-skinned Twi'lek and the the Mirialan watched me sitting up with a bit of worry - they were concerned that there might be some lingering issues left over from that hit I took - I reached behind my head and I felt fresh skin below my hair - they must have given me a kolto or bacta patch the heal the wound. I was glad about that, I didn't want to know how bad it was.

"What happened?" I asked. I had no idea what happened after I scared off the drexl or even how much time had passed. What happened to Exiim Abarghe? How long had I been unconscious? How did we end up on this Republic transport?

"After...after what happened with the drexl, I pursued Abarghe while Padawan Ai'sunn called for a medical transport for you and Master Towaan. The bounty hunter didn't have any traps left in him and I was able to incapacitate him after a shootout in the trees. We got on board this transport two days ago and Master Towaan recovered first. He is with the bounty hunter right now. Padawan Ai'sunn and I have been watching over you ever since. How are you feeling?" Master Avdune asked. I knew that she was going to ask about the lightning soon but I was relieved that she started with how I felt.

"I'm fine now, thank you." I responded before sighing, I decided to just get right into it and talk about what happened, just with the omission of Phanza - I had no idea what would happen if my master learned that Lady Attam was in my head telling me to use the Dark Side but I could only imagine that it would destroy the delicate peace between the Republic and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. I told my master what was more or less the truth "I tried to Force push the drexl but I couldn't do anything and the beast turned to me. My head was ringing after the blow and I couldn't think of what I could do. Then I raised my left hand and just thought out saving you. After a moment, it all came naturally. Once I realized what I was doing, I cut it off immediately."

"You said it came naturally?" Master Avdune asked, suddenly very concerned. I nodded solemnly in reply. I thought back to Phanza's assertions that the Jedi knew about my true nature or whatever and that my true nature made me linked to the Dark Side...what if Lady Attam was telling the truth? I was scared that there was ultimately something to these Sith lies. After all, she told me that horrifying truths were better for the Sith than lies which could be easily proven wrong and dismissed. Master Avdune stayed silent and thoughtful for a long time before turning back to me "I understand that it was a mistake and that you were in a bad condition. I'm not going to report this to the Jedi Council and I am going to try and forget about this. Please Zaliza, don't let anything like this ever happen again. You have the potential to be a brilliant Jedi and I want nothing more than to smile proudly as you become a Jedi Knight. If something like this would ever happen again, we would both be in real trouble. I'll let you rest now."

Master Avdune walked out of the room, her words weighing hard on me. I made a massive mistake. I listened to a Sith and I gave in to the Dark Side - I did something that no Jedi should ever do and something that I never would have normally done - in the process, I not only jeopardized my own status as a Jedi but I made Ullara look bad as my master. This could never happen again. I exhaled and laid back down on my side while Thonna gently brushed my hair to comfort me. At very least we had captured Exiim Abarghe and we could bring him back to Coruscant. There, we would interrogate him and get the information necessary to end this war. Maybe we could finally salvage some good from all this and return to peace. It would be far easier to resist Phanza in a peaceful galaxy where I don't have to use the Force as a weapon - after all, the Sith are masters at militarizing the Force. All of that didn't matter, soon enough, Generals Kenobi and Skywalker would rescue the Chancellor and, with Palpatine back and Exiim Abarghe in custody, we will have everything we need to usher in a new era of peace in the galaxy.

* * *

Alright, this has been chapter seven and, as you can predict, we're approaching some big events very soon.

Ciao!


	8. The Outer Rim Sieges

So I'm absolutely loving season seven of Clone Wars - I've watched episode one and two three times each by now and, by the time this posts, I'll probably have watched episode three at least twice. I didn't think I would be too crazy about the Bad Batch arc - I wanted to get right into the Ahsoka story - but I am loving it. The animation is beautiful, the tone is perfect, and what they're doing is impressive - that one shot scene with the Bad Batch storming the base in episode one is fantastic, reminds me of 1917 - they picked up right where they left off and I'm so glad to see the season, so far, is exactly the kind of Star Wars content I've wanted. Anyway, I'd love to see what you guys think, but, in the meantime, here is chapter eight!

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter VIII.

The Outer Rim Sieges.

* * *

"I am delighted to see you well my Chancellor! We have the criminal in custody!" Master Towaan said in his odd speech mannerism as we meant the Chancellor, shaken but well, on the platform. Master Windu and Master Yoda were with him, making sure that he was still safe. Evidently, General Skywalker received quite the welcome when he brought the Chancellor back, but neither Skywalker, nor Master Kenobi were around at the moment. I disagreed with the Chancellor, however, I was glad to see that he was okay. This audacious separatist raid was repelled and Count Dooku himself perished in the battle. We turned a devastating separatist assault into a resounding Republic victory. Hopefully, the loss of their head of state and increasing desperation would force the separatists to call for peace, though I am sure that General Grievous will attack and flee as long as he is able to.

"Thank you, Master Towaan, with Exiim Abarghe in Republic custody, we will be one step closer to bringing this war to an end." the Chancellor replied. His voice was innocuous and he wore a gentle, friendly smile on his face, however, his words stunned the group of Jedi around him. The Council assumed we would be playing a part in Abarghe's interrogation, especially given that the Chancellor had only just returned after being captured and skidding across a runway in the half a separatist capital ship. Predictably, Master Windu was the one to speak up first, confronting the Chancellor.

"With all due respect, Supreme Chancellor, we think the Jedi should take the lead in this interrogation. You should rest." Master Windu objected, but his voice did noticeably soften at the end there, he legitimately wanted the Chancellor to take some time off to relax and recover after his kidnapping. There probably is an ulterior motive that the Jedi Council will use the opportunity to bring the war to a close and, if possible, take away some of the Chancellor's more outrageous powers, however, I believe that Master Windu does have some genuine compassion for the Chancellor. Perhaps not as professionals, but as people, I think there has to be some mutual respect, even if I get the feeling that much of the Council, Master Windu in particular, does not enjoy working with Chancellor Palpatine. The Chancellor, however, did not seem to take heed of Master Windu's suggestions.

"I am fine, Master Jedi. Besides, my kidnapper, General Grievous is still at large and the war is still raging in the Outer Rim. I need my Jedi friends now more than ever. We are at a fateful junction for the future of the Republic and the Jedi." the Chancellor replied. Evidently, he wanted to get right back to work and send the Jedi back out to the front, going out to bring an end to the war. We didn't like it, however, in the end, we did indeed hand over Exiim Abarghe to the Chancellor and the Grand Army of the Republic. Master Yoda sighed profoundly as the Chancellor, a squadron of red and white armored clone troopers, and our prisoner marched away. We turned to the wise, green Jedi Master as he voiced his thoughts.

"Much power, the Chancellor has. Surrender it easily, he will not, I fear." Master Yoda stated. I was inclined to agree with him, but I did not voice my opinions. At this point, I just wanted the war to be over, whatever happens afterwards, the Jedi Order can deal with it. Master Avdune and I would be given a few days to rest at the Temple before we were inevitably sent back out into the field, this time with the now thoroughly rested and ready 1204th Clone Battalion, to fight some more pointless battles and experience some more horrible deaths. This would be the worst phase of the war, the separatists were desperate and it seemed that Grievous was now their leader, their tactics would be brutal and uncivilized whilst we would essentially be fighting a sanctioned revenge mission on Chancellor Palpatine's behalf. He would seize yet more power and more control until Grievous is brought to justice. Of course, before Grievous, Count Dooku had been the target, so perhaps the Chancellor will keep the war going and going until every last separatist is crushed by the supposed heroes.

* * *

_Exiim Abarghe was quietly executed last night. _I heard Phanza's voice in my head once again as I woke up on board the _Sage. _We were leaving Coruscant in order to take control of the Battle of Ypherro. My eyes were wide open at the Sith Lord's words. I couldn't believe this, we had just left Coruscant, the bounty hunter is in questioning, he has to be. The Chancellor needs his information to bring a swift end to the war, there is no benefit to executing him, especially given that the bounty hunter has already fallen out with the separatists. He wouldn't serve as an example. All his death would accomplish is hurting the Republic. There is no way the Chancellor would do that, sure he wants power and he likely has friends in the military-industrial complex that profit greatly off of this war, but that didn't mean that he was going to actively sabotage the Republic victory. Surely the Sith Lord had to be lying.

"You lie!" I cried out but it came out sounding far less certain that I had wanted it to. Why wasn't I certain? There was no logical reason for Exiim Abarghe to be executed. As bad as the Chancellor could be, it's not like he wanted to lose this war. Maybe he wants to prolong it, sure, but then he could drag out the interrogations to let vital contracts be signed and let emergency powers go through, then use Abarghe's inside knowledge to end the war. Having Abarghe executed was harming the Republic war effort, retroactively wasting resources, and potentially incriminating himself, there is no way the Chancellor would do this. It simply doesn't make sense. The only people who would want to see Exiim Abarghe dead are the separatists and, with Count Dooku dead, their leadership is questionable at best. To be able to arrange an execution on Coruscant would be nigh unthinkable, even with the Sith Lord Dooku at the helm of it, with Grievous in charge? Impossible. Perhaps this is the work of the second Sith Lord, the one we know less about. That could be it, after all, that could be Exiim Abarghe's secret to end the war, perhaps he knew something about Dooku's Master and thus the Dark Lord had him killed.

Of course, there were problems with that idea too. If the Dark Lord of the Sith has the ability to arrange an execution on Coruscant, why only use it to kill one man? Why not use that power and access to attack the Jedi or seize control of the Senate? Not to mention the fact that this Sith is secretly in charge of the separatists and used Dooku as his public figure head, that means that this Sith Lord was in charge of the kidnapping of the Chancellor. If the Sith is able to have Abarghe executed, why didn't the Sith use his apparently abundant contacts on Coruscant to kidnap the Chancellor that way? Perhaps the Sith did not want to reveal his network of contacts on the Republic capital just yet and was planning something even greater, but what could possibly be greater than kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine himself? This idea didn't quite explain everything either. Also, just how did Phanza Attam know about this when the Jedi didn't? What did she have a comprehensive spy network in the Republic that knew more about our own faction than we did? ...Alright well I suppose that is possible. Lady Attam and her Sith faction clearly know far more about the Republic and the separatists alike than either of us know about them.

_Must I tell you again? A devastating truth is far more effective than an easy lie. Abarghe is dead and the Chancellor orchestrated it. He used his favorite executioners for the job too. Executioners stationed throughout the galaxy. _Phanza giggled maniacally before fading away from my mind once again. The Jedi killed Exiim Abarghe? That seemed to make even less sense than the rest of it, however, considering everything that's happened in the Clone Wars, it's no question that the Jedi have become Chancellor Palpatine's favorite executioners. I mean, the only reason that Jedi Generals and their Clone companions don't have kill counts in the thousands are that the separatists are almost entirely reliant on an army of battle droids. Who would possibly execute a bounty hunter on the Chancellor's behalf? I figured that Master Windu would be the Jedi most open to committing an execution, but even then, that doesn't mean he would actually do it and Mace's tense working relationship with Palpatine likely means that we would never commit an execution for the Chancellor, even if he would willingly do it under other circumstances. General Skywalker may do it, but I haven't heard of him having anything to do with the Abarghe situation whatsoever. Of course, Lady Attam wasn't going to give me any further answers, so I was left trying to figure this out all on my own. This was the state that Master Avdune found me in when she entered my quarters.

"Oh...I thought I heard you talking to someone." Ullara said when she found me all alone in bed on the opposite end of the room from my holocommunicator. I suppose that she overheard my outburst replying to Lady Attam. An outburst rendered completely useless by the fact that, when fully connected through the Force, Lady Attam seemed to be able to hear my thoughts. I have yet to manage to reach that same level.

"Sorry Master, I was having a bad dream and I kind of overreacted." I replied, it wasn't exactly a lie. I'm sure most Jedi would consider a Sith Lord communicating with them in their sleep to be an absolute nightmare. I was only putting up with Phanza because I was certain I could avoid the Dark Side and because I didn't know how to sever this connection on my own. If the circumstances were different, I could ask my master and the other Jedi for help, however, the way things are, I can't do that without risking harm to the people of Taaszon. It is clear that the people of the Grand Duchy are, for whatever reason, happy with their Sith government and it is clear that Lady Attam and her faction are not going down without a fight. If I revealed the fact that the Sith were actively trying to convert a Jedi Padawan, I would be bringing the war to Taaszon. I could no longer say that Chancellor Palpatine wouldn't love a war against a new Sith enemy beyond known space, simply to increase military spending, the size of the Republic, and seize more emergency powers. The people of that Grand Duchy would suffer, the Jedi would be thrown into yet another pointless war before we've even finished this one, and the only real winner would be Palpatine. This situation was bigger than me, I had the power to resist the Dark Side alone and, in doing so, I had the power to prevent another conflict.

"I understand Zaliza..." Master Avdune said as she sat down next to me on my bed and her green eyes looked into my purple ones "You're mad at yourself, aren't you? You're terrified of what you may become after that lightning incident, aren't you? Well the fact that you regret it is a good sign. You know reaching into that dark power is road to pain, suffering, and hatred. You know that and you can resist it. If you ever believe that, for even a second, that you might slip up again and fall to the Dark Side, please, tell me. I will do everything in my power to help you and guide you back towards the light."

My master thought I was more affected by the Force Lightning incident than I actually was. I was about to correct her about that, however, I then realized something very crucial. Phanza Attam was a stubborn woman and the red-skinned Nautolan would no doubt try and keep turning me over to the Dark Side, I was confident that I could stop her, however, that incident on Dxun gave me a convenient excuse to ask my master for help if Lady Attam ever gets to me again. I had someone to help me through this, even if I couldn't tell my master everything. This was exactly what I needed.

"Thank you Master, I'll keep that in mind." I sincerely thanked my master before turning onto my side and attempting to sleep again. To my surprise, I felt my master slip under the covers behind me. I felt her long, green legs tangle together with mine and I felt her comfortable arms around my waist. I heard her breathing, I felt her heart beating, and, through the Force, her presence of light drowned out Lady Attam in my head. Being so close to my Jedi Master was like being protected by a bulwark guarding against the darkness of the Sith. I felt warm and safe. Lady Attam did not dare trouble me again once Master Avdune fell asleep together. Master and apprentice alike would be well rested and fully focused once we arrived on Ypherro.

* * *

An armada of LAAT gunships and transports tore through the clouds and arrived on the distant outer rim world of Ypherro. Raindrop after raindrop battered the roof above us as we approached the separatist positions on the stormy, mountainous jungle world. Master Avdune, the clones, and I held on tight as our gunship veered to the right and then back to the left as anti-aircraft guns targeted us. The separatists took the bait. Directly above the now exposed separatist positions, Y-wing bombers dived down from the sky, approaching the separatists at massive speed before pulling up, simultaneously releasing their payload. The bombers veered off and retreated to the _Sage_, the _Tython, _and the _Coruscant Temple _hidden just above the clouds in the upper atmosphere. The gunship fired its missiles at separatist position on top of a natural arch before diving through the opening below. The main separatist command center was directly ahead. Battle Droids, missiles, and cannons filled the skies ahead of us as our gunship swooped in to land on a landing pad set up on an outer ring surrounding the compound. Master Avdune and I activated our lightsabers and lead the charge with W-squadron and a group of clones in specialized, jungle-camo armor.

I used the Force to throw a fuel canister into a crab droid before using the twin blades of my purple saberstaff to deflect laser bolts from a group of defending B1 and B2 Battle Droids. Master Avdune, in her element and clearly feeling reinvigorated after last night, spearheaded the charge. My master kicked down the leg of B1 battle droid and destroyed it with a Force-amplified punch to the chest before decapitating another with her green lightsaber. Rising to her full height, she appeared elegant and confident as she rose a hand and Force pushed a group of Super Battle Droids, watching the slip over the edge as their metal feet were incapable of getting any traction on the slippery surface out here in the rain.

Simultaneously, W-squadron proved just why they were the most important element of the 1204th. Warden gave cover fire with his rotary cannon along with Witchcraft on his sniper rifle as the rest of the squad pushed forward across the bridge linking the landing pad with the rest of the command center. Commander Warlock slid onto his back and used his knife to stab a crab droid in the eye before spinning over onto his front and unloading his blaster in full auto into the backs of a pair of Super Battle droids. Armed with a full length blaster rifle, Williams took cover behind a crate over where Warlock had ended up, blasting B1 Battle Droids in their stupid, tall necks. Wishlist arrived next to him and the squad's second-in-command rolled a droid popper out into the remaining group of droids. The water on the platform served as an excellent conductor as the EMP grenade fried the droids. The way ahead clear, Winch sprinted ahead to deactivate a ray shield the defenders activated to keep us out of the command center itself. The camouflaged commandos, eager to demonstrate their usefulness, didn't wait for Winch. They fired their grappling hooks up to the roof and then used those ropes to swing around the ray shield onto the second floor balcony above. I heard the commotion as the commandos set up a perimeter on the second floor, facing significant resistance from the separatists within.

Winch got the door open quickly and we rushed in to the first floor of the compound. A commando droid ambushed me with its knife but the rear blade of my double-bladed lightsaber found its chest and deactivated it. I then swung for a second droid but it leaped back and punched at me. I dodged the punch and went to cut off the droid's arms but he was quick, though not quite quick enough. I managed to cut off the droid's hand and, thinking it was partially disarmed, I stood back up and went for a killing strike, but the droid wasn't finished quite yet. The commando droid punched me with its right stub before grabbing a plaster with its left hand, seeking to blast me point blank. I quickly used my hand to Force push him against the wall, sending his shot out wide, harmlessly hitting the ceiling. The droid was not as lucky, falling apart when it collided with the metal wall. Another commando droid took a shot at me but I caught it with my lightsaber and deflected it back at me, striking him in the bottom of the face. He was still operational, but even a droid could be stunned by getting the lower half of its face shot off. Commander Warlock shot him dead not a moment later. I scanned the room again, finding no more commando droids. We were left with just a Super Tactical Droid and a group of Neimoidians, who would no doubt claim to be here, in a separatist command center on a distant world, on neutral Trade Confederation business. Nevertheless, until they plead their blatantly false case to the Senate, they would be Republic prisoners. Meanwhile, One of the clone commandos came down and deactivated the Super Tactical Droid. We did not take droid prisoners, we deactivated them and took their processors for lab examination.

"General Avdune to Republic Cruiser _Sage_: our decapitation strike was successful, the command center is taken. We will clean up here before fanning out to other pockets of resistance." Master Avdune reported to our flagship. The Battle of Ypherro had begun and the Republic could not hope to start a battle in a better way. An ambitious and powerful attack has left the remaining separatist positions disorganized and cut off from each other. Now it was just a matter of consolidating our hold on the command center, learning all we can about the separatist operations here, and then spreading out to put an end to them. It remains to be seen how easy that would actually be, after all, looking out the windows to the hilly jungle outside, I see separatist camps and defenses hidden everywhere. In fact, I watched as a whole series of separatist gun batteries came to life out of nowhere to target our ships in the skies. Bombers flew over them and obliterated their position but, seeing turned into hell fire didn't exactly improve my expectations for the Battle of Ypherro. It would be yet another lengthy siege in the Outer Rim.

* * *

The elevator reached the upper levels of the command center and Warlock, Wishlist, Williams, and Winch scanned the room with their blasters. Witchcraft, Warden, and the clone commandos were still on the first two levels, holding the command center. We were searching the upper levels for any remaining separatist forces or vital information - after all, if Lady Attam was right, the Republic would need new intelligence on the separatists, information the Jedi would have to see first. I still found it hard to believe that such a crucial source of information was just executed, but, once Phanza put the thought in my head, I've been incapable of getting that idea out of it - however, this spire didn't seem to contain anything of value. Warlock activated the light on his helmet and led our group up a spiral staircase leading higher up, towards the communication array on the top of it.

We circled around and around before reaching the highest level of the compound. The clones swung around to cover Winch and the two of us Jedi stood at the ready with our lightsabers. Winch got to work hacking the communication array, trying to dig up any remaining information. The clone medic, mechanic, and technician had many responsibilities, but he was damn good at those jobs. He was into the separatist system on Ypherro in just a few moments, however, as soon as he cracked it, it became clear that the separatists had a trap waiting for us. Six droidekas were released from cranes on the ceiling. Master Avdune, the clones, and I got ready for a fight.

The destroyer droids activated their shields and were prepared to massacre us in tight confines, but we were an elite fighting Force. Wishlist passed around droid poppers and our clones rolled them through the shields where they knocked out the droids. Meanwhile, Master Avdune and I did our best to deflect the laser bolts. Fortunately, the droid poppers worked past and our clones had perfect timing - rolling the grenades gently enough for them to pass through the shields, fast enough to save us, but just slow enough to not bounce harmlessly off their shields. The droidekas were electrocuted and deactivated without much trouble and Winch was able to crack into their network. Unfortunately, before we could find anything useful, a coded message tore through the separatists coms - a coded message of the coming separatist counterattack on the command center.

"Ambush!" Warden cried through the comlink just as we got the news. The clones rushed to get the elevator heading down again while Master Avdune and I peaked through a window, seeing the separatist counter attack in full force. Vulture droids filled the skies, battling against our gunships, Y-wings, and ARC-170 starfighters. Separatist AAT tanks trudged through the jungle, flanked by legions of B1 and B2 battle droids. Our bombers unleashed hell on them whenever they could and all our clones were landed and put to work defending the command center, however, as quickly as we knocked them down, more and more separatists poured out of the jungle to hold the line.

The clones finally got the elevator working and the two of us joined them. An explosion shook the spire as we headed down but the elevator held steady - the fighting is getting bad out there - it seems our move may have been a bit too ambitious. We managed to capture the command center based on the element of surprise and overwhelming odds, however, with the bulk of the separatist forces on Ypherro rushing here to undo our progress, we may very well be pushed back. Master Avdune and I would do everything we can to prevent that, but, if the cost of clone lives is too great, we will retreat to a more tenable position. We wanted to keep this position, but, if we want anyone in the galaxy to take our claim as peace keepers seriously after all we've done in this war, we absolutely cannot treat clone lives as expendable. The elevator reached the ground levels as Master Avdune and I steeled ourselves. We would fight hard and valiantly and, however this battle ends, we know that we are going to do the right thing for the sake of our men.

We joined Warden as he charged out of the base with his rotary cannon spinning into action. Up above, Witchcraft was laying prone on the second level, acting as our sniper. Warden's laser bolts cut the droid lines to pieces and the rest of W squadron, along with the clone commandos, got to work dropping as many clankers as they possibly could. I sprang into action myself, swinging my double-bladed lightsaber through a group of Super Battle Droids. I Force pushed down a legion of B1 battle droids and dragged my lightsaber through the remaining stragglers. I watched as a tank aimed its guns at me, however, I found there was no reason to worry - a LAAT gunship's gunner melted the tank with a laser beam. I looked up gratefully at the gunship only to see it shot down by a Vulture droid, careening off into the jungle to the east. The loss of life hurt, but I had no time to dwell on it - such was the horror of warfare, even the Jedi, those who were attuned to all living things, could grow desensitized to death. It was almost a requirement when the galaxy pitted droids against clones. The Jedi felt the clones were individual and alive through the Force, but the rest of the galaxy was not as empathetic. Much of the Republic and most of the Senate saw clones as nothing more than disposable products. I leaped back into the fray, cutting down battle droids wherever I could, eventually finding myself back to back with Master Avdune.

We had both pushed deep into the separatist lines, perhaps too deep, as we were now being surrounded. Commando droids appeared out of nowhere, attacking us. I caught one's blade before it could attack me and then slashed it in half. I amplified the Force through my foot and kicked the droid's head off by the neck. I pulled another Commando droid towards us with the Force, allowing Ullara to raise her green lightsaber into the air and cut the droid in half. The Mirialan brought her green lightsaber back down and cut yet another droid clean in half vertically. I swung at the last one with my lightsaber but it hopped backwards, only to land on the corpse of a Super Battle Droid. The droid fell over and I lunged at it with my purple blade, the Commando droid rolled out of the way. The black, armored up derivative of the B1 design rose to a kneeling position and was going to attack me with its blade again while Master Avdune impaled it with her lightsaber. We functioned well as a team, however, no matter how well we were doing, we were still in a bad position, being overrun by battle droids.

An AAT tank advanced towards us, coming out of the woods to crush us. Master Avdune and I ran away from it to buy us more time, only to find the tank starting to fire - we couldn't run because we would end up in its cannons' range, but we couldn't stay here without getting crushed by a hover tank. Hover tank! I dropped to the ground and, my master, seeing my lead, followed suit. We waited for the tank to hover over us before activating our lightsabers, cutting twin paths deep into its undercarriage. We watched as the hover tank floated past us and a bit further before starting to fail. The damage was too much though and, soon enough, the tank was incapacitated after its internals blew themselves to pieces. Master Avdune and I spun back up to our feet, only to be faced with even more advancing battle droids as the seemingly endless counterattack waged on and on.

"It's time to retreat, isn't it?" I asked my master, seeing we were faced with insurmountable odds. Master Avdune seemed to want to agree with me, however, she hesitated for just a moment. Her hesitation proved to be decisive because the _Sage, _the _Coruscant Temple, _and the _Tython _broke through the clouds. Suddenly, the sky was filled with more than just rain and lightning as laser fire tore down on the separatist attack. Three Venator-class Star Destroyers turned the tide and beat the separatists into submission. Soon enough, the droids who were left standing retreated, fleeing back to their positions. There must have been thousands of those droids trying to retake the command center. Those were overwhelming odds and the separatists should have retaken this position, but the awesome power of our flagships turned the tide. They really did earn the name Star Destroyers. The three ships annihilated the counter attack and reduced a whole section of jungle to nothing but flaming ruin. It rained and it rained but the fires still burned. If we were much further through the separatists lines, we would have been caught up in the blast too. That would be an absolutely tragedy, to have Jedi killed by Republic weapons. I shook off that discomforting thought, these Star Destroyers were on our side and the clones were our true companions - we cared for them - we were true allies and always would be.

* * *

"We tracked the separatist transmission to six locations: two mines, a mountain stronghold, a Vulture droid nest, a fortified cave complex, and...well, the last position is a bit harder to identify. It's a titanic circular fortress of some sort and whatever is going on there is classified." Winch reported, telling us the information he got from the communication spire just before the separatist counter attack. Mines were to be expected, after all, Ypherro was an unpopulated and distant world, the only benefit from such a planet would be mining it dry for resources. The separatists were in desperate need of resources, they were fighting the same exhausting and endless war we were in and they had to do it with the less valuable, less populous half of the galaxy. Many of largest battles in the Clone Wars revolved around the separatists trying to grab valuable worlds they could use for resources to prolong this war. With Dooku dead and the separatists clearly growing desperate, we had to imagine that the end of the war was near, but, when fighting an enemy who only fights with droids and does not care for the suffering of the common people who pay for those droids, it is difficult to make a peace. The vulture droid nest also made sense, given how many of those damned things filled the skies in the early stages of the battle. The strongholds were there to solidify separatist control over the planet and its mines. I had to imagine Master Avdune and I would be heading for the circular fortress, after all, it is the largest and most mysterious of the targets, which, with the separatists, usually meant bad things.

"We believe that, without theses positions, the separatists will be unable to hold onto Ypherro." Commander Warlock capped off Winch's statement, showing that W squadron really do stick together. It did make sense though, the command center was already lost, defended, and our position was now consolidated. Ypherro was now blockaded by our three Star Destroyers, so the separatists had no way of adding new droids to the world - something which would seriously hurt them after that orbital bombardment. The world would be under Republic control once we took these positions, even if we would still have to hunt down a couple of remaining droid stragglers. The Battle of Ypherro would deny the separatists resources and take control of this sector of the outer rim.

"Thank you Winch, Commander Warlock," Master Avdune thanked the clones before announcing our plans "Commander Vyvan and I will lead W squadron to this strange circular fortress with the commandos. I want two dispatch a gunship each to the mines, three to the mountain stronghold, two to the cave complex, and I want our ARC fighters to bomb the Vulture droid nest. I want the rest of the clones to remain here at the command center. If anyone calls for help, send an appropriate response, just make sure that there are enough clones here to protect this place in case of any other droid attempts to retake it."

I was no fan of warfare, but I found it admirable how Master Avdune - or perhaps I should say General Avdune in this context - planned the battle and orchestrated the whole Siege of Ypherro. Predictably, we were going to the circular fortress, partially as an investigation, partially in order to take the position. The Republic war machine mobilized and, soon enough, gunships, starfighters, and countless clone troopers fanned out to win the Battle of Ypherro. A crushing surprise attack turned to near defeat at the hands of the separatist droid armies, however, one orbital bombardment turned that all around. Now, we were victorious once again and we were about to push for six more victories in order to take this world. I was glad to have won, however, our victory was a chilling display of Republic technology and coordination, so much devastation and destruction caused by a group of people under the command of the Jedi. This war has changed us. I looked at our loyal troops being sent off to battle, I looked at the jungle still burning after the bombardment, and I looked at the pile of droid skeletons gathered up south of the command center to be torched - seeing just how many of them wore lightsaber scars - and I realized that Phanza was probably right. The Jedi were Palpatine's favorite executioners and Exiim Abarghe probably was dead, executed by a Jedi, just like countless battle droids were. I couldn't help but wonder how easily we would be killing separatist forces if they were people rather than droids. Then I thought about R9-W3 and how I always felt my droid had personality. What really is the difference between a person and the countless battle droids Master Avdune and I have slaughtered? I felt worse about fighting a war for the Republic than I did about using Force Lightning.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! Bye everyone!


	9. Order 66

Alright guys, well, we're at a certain point in the timeline and the chapter title is what it is. This is going to be a pretty major chapter and it'll be pushing the T rating. We will go up to an M rating with act two. At this point, I am pretty sure there will be somewhat of a hiatus between act one and act two. In any case, that's all the business-y stuff I got, here we go with Order 66.

Also, side note: Mace Windu's speech to the battle droids in episode four of season seven of Clone Wars was absolutely hilarious. This really has nothing to do with the chapter, but I loved that quote and, well, with coronavirus going on, I'm not really in a position to talk about that stuff face-to-face, therefore, I'm plastering it on the internet for whoever ends up reading this. Apologies for dating the crap out of this chapter, those of you in like 2025 who stumbled on this story can return to your regularly scheduled future or apocalypse, whichever happened.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter IX.

Order 66.

* * *

A lightning flash tore through the jungle as we gathered around the perimeter of the circular separatist fortress. There was a two story metal frame surrounding it and, as Winch confirmed with the highly specialized method of throwing a rock at it, an invisible ray-shield surrounding the base. The flash of the lightning wore off and Williams and the clone commandos turned on their rifle-mounted flashlights, giving Winch even lighting to do his job. A clone commando tossed our mechanic a specialized, experimental spray. Winch sprayed the solution onto the ray-shield, causing the material to become a glass-like solid. Winch made a solid doorway about seven feet tall and four feet across before setting the spray down. Winch then knelt down with a silent drill, cutting into the glass, making a smaller entrance through it, leaving a substantial amount of glass along the edge - removing all the glass would just lead to ray-shields refilling that area, an edge had to be left in order to keep the shield out of our entrance. The clone removed the glass and the flashlights turned off, then we went single file through the entrance, first the commandos, then Master Avdune and I, and then W-squadron, led by Commander Warlock. Witchcraft picked up the spray bottle and shot a grappling line up to the second level platform, spraying a line of glass up with him. The sniper was going to cover us while we investigated this mysterious installation. We would keep this a stealth mission as long as possible.

"Witchcraft, what do you see up there?" Master Avdune asked through the commlink, wishing to know the layout within these walls. Master Avdune and I were here because this is the largest and most obscure of the separatist positions - we've never seen a separatist position arranged in this way, nor do we have any idea what this base could possibly be. We identified the mines, we identified the vulture droid nest, and the command center. This area could just be a fortress to hold control of the planet, but we already deduced that the cave complex was a defensive position, the separatists did not have the resources for redundant defenses at this stage of the Clone Wars. I took amount to tap into the Force, seeing what I could feel - though, given that droids weren't lifeforms and there devoid of the Force, I wasn't sure what exactly I was looking for - I didn't feel anything, other than my Master and the clones, which made sense given the circumstances, however, it only contributed to making this situation feel that more ominous. Lightning tore across the cloudy night sky as it continued pouring rain through the night here on Ypherro.

"There are two structures. One is a tower drawing in the lightning, it seems to be the structure powering the ray-shields, it's offset to the northwest. The other structure is in the exact middle of the compound looks like...a smaller version of the whole base. I don't see any droids, neither through eyesight or through the scanner built into my scope. General...just what is going on here?" Witchcraft asked. Warlock's young protégé, the talented sniper, was feeling uneasy, just like I was. I think we were all feeling this way by now, this compound is just getting weirder and weirder - why would the separatists devout such a larger base to nothing but a tower and some sort of little replica of itself? This didn't make sense, just what the hell was going on here?

"I don't know, but we're going to have to find out. Watch over us Witchcraft, I think this is some sort of trap. Commander Warlock, Padawan Vyvan, I wanted you to turn off the ray-shields, the rest of us are going to investigate the inner circle. Meet up with us once you're done." Master Avdune ordered, the Mirialan was furrowing her brows, she knew there was something very wrong with this situation. In any case, my clone counterpart and I started heading over to the tower, explaining why there were so many flashes of lightning in the sky over here. We reached the base of the tower and circled it before finding a control panel. Commander Warlock set his blaster down and pulled out a new weapon. A modified commando droid blade, electrified, coated in a black, cortosis material - one of the strongest metals in the galaxy, one which even lightsabers could resist - and decorated in purple.

"New toy?" I asked the clone, a bemused expression on my face.

"Yes ma'am, I figured there's only so many times a commando droid can attack me with one of these damned blades before I start giving them a taste of their own medicine." Commander Warlock countered before getting to work, prying the control panel open. I watched as he electrified his blade and stabbed it into the tower, overloading it and shutting it down. The tower was meant to absorb lightning, but there is a difference between absorbing lightning through the top of the tower where it is supposed to, going through coils and being managed before heading through it, and just stabbing an electrified blade deep into the wires and guts of the tower. I suppose I could have done the same with my lightsaber, however, Warlock did the job just fine and now we could head back to our fellow troops. The lightning stopped hitting the tower, the ray-shields went away, and the installation was now wide open for us. If this was truly a separatist trap and we were overwhelmed, we could now send work to the command center and have an armada of Republic gunships over the base in mere moments. Knowing that such a trap was a distinct possibility, Commander Warlock and I headed towards the inner circle in the center of the compound, eager to regroup with our allies. We didn't get the chance, however, as deactivating the tower seemed to spring the trap "Get down!"

Warlock pushed me down, behind a metal barricade. My purple eyes looked over to where we had just been and saw a missile strike directly there, blowing wet mud into the air. I used the Force to blow the mud off my face and then rose up to a crouch, looking over the edge of the barrier. Eight B2 Rocket Trooper droids arrived to fight us, another group flying off to fight my master and the other clones at the inner circle. The inner circle seemed to have been some sort of elevator, as regular infantry droids were fighting them, along with these rare and specialized jetpack droids. My master and the clones would have to manage on their own for now, we had a fight on our hands. I activated my purple saberstaff and Warlock readied his blaster rifle.

"Thanks for saving me Warlock." I told him before leaping into the fight. He was a clone, sure, but he was also an individual, a person with free will, fully capable of making his own decisions, of forging friendships, and of sacrifice. Warlock knew he could have died to save me and he tried to do it anyway - that is a loyalty that cannot be programmed, that is a genuine loyalty. I pushed with the Force, putting a droid into the mud before it could blast me. One of its comrades looked back at the droid - perhaps this was some sort of sentience from the battle droids as well, perhaps they were capable of companionship as well - I didn't dwell on it too much, I couldn't, not in a war - I cut across the droid who looked back and swiped at a droid to the left, however, that one activated his jetpack and flew over my strike. From above, that battle droid unleashed his cannons. I rolled out of the way, away from his blasts, stopping only once Warlock disabled the droid with a single shot to the head. I ended up next to the droid I had pushed into the mud earlier, struggling to get up from the mud. I rested a hand on his metal chassis with the Force. I used my hand like a magnet, locking onto the metal shell of the droid. I jerked my hand to the left and then to the right, crushing the droid's internals with its own chassis, finishing it off. Three droids were down, two by me, one by Warlock, we had five more to go.

I moved up to the next droid and stabbed with my lightsaber, using the long handle of my double-bladed weapon for greater reach. That disabled the droid, meanwhile, Warlock managed to land a droid popper on one of the B2's chassis. One droid backed away, coming close enough to me that I was able to cut it down, another, smarter one, flew into the air to get out of the EMP grenades range, however, the final two were not so lucky. Warlock's grenade electrocuted two droids at once. Now all that was left was the one in the air. I grabbed it with the Force to halt it, giving Warlock a clear shot to take it down. The two of us ducked down behind the barrier yet again to catch our breath and reload before heading back into the fight to help my master and her clones against the remaining separatist forces. We were just about ready to go when Warlock got an emergency communication through his holocommunicator. I reached for mine as well, but it wasn't beeping. Strange. I watched silently as Commander Warlock activated his, surprised to see a vision of Chancellor Palpatine in robes and a hood. Looking more closely, I could see that, even through the blue hologram, his features seemed different. He looked gray and deformed...had something happened? Also, why was the Chancellor of the Republic contacting a mere clone commander? Why not Master Avdune? This was very strange indeed.

"Commander Warlock, the time has come. Execute Order 66." Chancellor Palpatine stated, it was like he loved every single word he was saying. What did this mean? Why was the Chancellor giving an order to Commander Warlock in particular while we were in the middle of a battle? Just what was this Order 66 anyway. Right before shimmering away, I could swear I saw the Chancellor glance over at me, seeing my confusion. I watched his expression twist into a gruesome smirk before his blue image disappeared. Palpatine's smirk made me recoil away from Warlock's shoulder - I wanted to be as far away from that hologram as possible. I didn't know what was going on, but after that smirk, I knew, whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"It will be done, my lord." my confusion only grew as Commander Warlock replied to the apparently now disfigured Chancellor the same way that Phanza's underlings referred to the Sith Lord. The ominous tone that the clone took on didn't help matters either, I was now very uncomfortable. I knew it was probably a complete overreaction, but something made me want to reach for my lightsaber. I waited for a long moment for Warlock to turn around, hoping he would turn back, return to his normal voice, and ask if I was ready to attack the separatists. I hoped that Order 66 was just some mundane nothingness that Warlock could deal with it later, all the while I was well aware that the Chancellor of The Galactic Republic himself would not devote himself to mundane nothingness. My eyes widened as I saw Warlock, slowly but methodically, reach for his electrified blade. I rocketed up to my feet and my lightsaber came to life as Warlock turned around and rose up in a flash, attacking me with his electrified cortosis blade. His blade really could survive a lightsaber, he proved that much.

"Warlock! What are you doing!?" I asked, hoping to get the clone to stand down. All I got in reply was a war cry before the commander attacked me again. His electrified commando droid blade met the front blade of my purple lightsaber. It quickly became apparent that Warlock was actually trying to kill me whereas I was just trying to neutralize him - I didn't want to kill him, the clone just saved my life - I thought back to the call from Palpatine. Warlock was my loyal clone ally until he got that order, was this Order 66 an order to kill me? Why would Chancellor Palpatine want that? I didn't do anything to him...unless...could this be him cleaning up loose ends from the Exiim Abarghe execution? Did he somehow find out that Phanza told me? Did Phanza tell him? I didn't know, the look Palpatine gave me only complicated matters. Then again, he never mentioned my name...what if it's just not me? I glanced over to Master Avdune as I locked blades with Commander Warlock. My eyes widened as I saw that, despite having beat the droids, the clones were raising their blasters once again, this time, against Master Avdune, who had her back to them. This isn't just about me, this is a plot to destroy the Jedi! I cried out to Ullara "Master! They betrayed us!"

Warlock kicked me in the stomach, pushing me back into the mud. I didn't have the chance to stumble to me feet so I just brought my lightsaber up, blocking Warlock's blade. Once again locked in combat against the clone, I glanced over to see a green lightsaber activate, blocking blaster bolts from...from Wishlist, Williams, Winch, and Warden. W-squadron had betrayed us, the clone commandoes had betrayed us, all because of one order from Chancellor Palpatine. I snapped back to attention when I noticed Warlock overpowering me, pushing my own lightsaber blade closer and closer to my chest. I couldn't beat him in a strength to strength fight - I had to tap into the Force. I reached out only to wish that I hadn't - I felt the simultaneous executions of thousands of Jedi slapping me back out of it. I felt the once vibrant personalities of the clones reduced to almost nothing, as if they were muted. Palpatine must have had a way to control the clones, to rob them of their independence and turn them into killing machines. Killing machines which he unleashed upon the Jedi. Killing machines which killed Exiim Abarghe. Killing machines which Lady Attam warned me about. The Jedi were not Palpatine's favorite executioners, that distinction belonged to the clones, and now, now they were being used against us.

I pushed past the time of thousands of Jedi being killed at once, I pushed past the pain and suffering in the Jedi Temple, I pushed past the dying screams of Jedi Masters who I knew and cherished, and I tapped into the Force. I Force Pushed Commander Warlock away and got up to my feet. I ran up to the clone, struggling to keep standing in the slippery mud, and I took out all my anger and my pain at him. I slashed at him with my lightsaber, I stabbed at the face of every traitor clone who turned against my brother and sister Jedi, I cut through the symbol of The Galactic Republic, the symbol which Chancellor Palpatine corrupted. He took all the power from the Senate, he seized the banks for himself to fund the war against the separatists, and now, he has launched a conspiracy to destroy the Jedi. Lightning filled the skies, reminding me of the Force Lightning I used on Dxun, filling my vision with the dead clone who had saved my life not half an hour ago. I recoiled from the man I killed. Clones, Jedi, the war made us both executioners, Palpatine turned friends against one another and seized control of the galaxy right in front of our eyes. I turned to see Master Avdune knelt in front of a clone, filled with just as much remorse as I was. Ullara had killed the entire rest of W-squadron and the clone commandos. The murders were in self-defense, but these men had been our loyal companions, now, they were dead, killed by our own lightsabers.

"Master...we have to go." I put a hand on her shoulder and found my master virtually catatonic - I had to imagine that she was now reaching out into the Force, just like I had during my fight against Commander Warlock - but we had to leave, there were many, many more clones here, including three star destroyers, this clearly was not an isolated incident. The entire Grand Army of The Republic had turned against us. I shock my master again and the Mirialan finally snapped out of it, opening her eyes and rising to her feet, heading back into the inner circle.

"You're right Zaliza, you're right." Ullara said, breathing heavily, a far cry from the balanced military commander I was so used to seeing from my master, though I could hardly blame her, the unthinkable happened. In any case, Master Avdune was scrambling to come up with a plan "The clones will be scrounging the surface for us, we're not safe up here. The inner circle seems to be an elevator leading down to some sort of separatist underground compound. I have no doubt that there are droids there, but I think we'll have a much easier time fighting through the droids and emerging somewhere else on the surface of Ypherro than trying to hold out against the clones, especially after all we've seen from the gunships and the bombers. Wherever we emerge, we'll find a way to get off world, then -"

"No!" I cried out as Master Avdune was abruptly cut off by a laser bolt to the chest. My eyes widened - _Witchcraft_. I activated my lightsaber and turned around, looking at exactly where the clone had been. The clone, realizing he had a lot less time than he had to line up my master for a shot, took his chance and fired. I caught his sniper bolt and redirected it back at the clone, feeling the laser bolt penetrate his armor and kill the clone. I savored the vengeance, the evil clone fired at my master and now, now he was dead. I earned no satisfaction from the act, however, and I stopped savoring, instead, I ran over to my master, grabbing her body, feeling that there was still life in her. I had never attempted to heal with the Force before, but I had to learn now. I put both hands over the wound in my master's side and I channeled energy, trying to heal the wound. I shook as thunder echoed in the skies and I watched the threads of repaired skin fall apart. I didn't stop though, I kept repairing the damage, not stopping no matter how many times it was undone. I kept going and going, doing anything I could with limited knowledge to save my master. I couldn't do this alone, I couldn't survive being hunted down by the clones without Ullara at my side.

"Zaliza...you have to go." Ullara coughed out, my master pleaded with me to leave her, but I wasn't going to do it, I couldn't do it. Slowly but surely, I managed to keep the threads together, even as thunder struck, I managed to heal the wound, both superficially and, to an extent, below, eventually, it was at a point where I could move my master. I helped her to her feet and put my arm around my neck, heading to the elevator, following her plan "I'll only slow you down, it's too late for me...they already got me. You have to get away while you still can. You can't expect to be able to push pass the separatists down there while fleeing the clones and protecting me all at once, I'll only be a burden. Save yourself Padawan, please."

"No master, I'm saving the both of us! You are not going to die master!" I pleaded, tears filling my eyes as we stepped down onto the elevator and made our way down, away from the surface. The clones would be hunting for us, but together - and only together - we could figure out how to get through this separatist base, returning to the surface somewhere deep in the jungle, someplace where the clones would have no idea where to look. From there, we would figure out how to find a ship - with my master's help, there is no way I'd be able to find a ship on an unpopulated jungle planet on my own, especially not at night during an endless storm while being hunted by legions of clone troopers, the very clone troopers we trained with. I filled with anticipation as the elevator neared the underground base. I set my master down and she activated her green lightsaber while I activated by double-bladed weapon. The elevator opened up to reveal we were entirely surrounded by battle droids, guns at the ready, about to massacre us, except, they weren't...they were all deactivated. I watched as the droids stood there, eerily armed for combat but completely benign, turned off. I touched one battle droid but still, nothing happened. I backed away from the empty husks of droids and turned back to my master.

"Palpatine controlled everything, didn't he? The separatists and the Republic? He was the Sith Lord. He was going to win the war either way and he decided that it was time for the Republic to win. The Jedi were all killed simultaneous while Palpatine had the droids deactivated. This is how the war ends, with Palpatine winning and everyone else in the galaxy losing." I realized everything. We knew that there was a Sith Lord behind Count Dooku, the true Dark Lord of the Sith - the senior pretender as Phanza would say - and we knew that Chancellor Palpatine was up to something insidious, but we could never have imagined they were one in the same, not until now. This was Order 66, the death of all the Jedi, the end of the Clone Wars, and Palpatine's coup, the conquest of the galaxy.

"It would seem so, Zaliza," Master Avdune said as she managed to stand up on her own two feet - evidently her own connection to the Force was enabling her to heal herself at an accelerated rate - but she was still walking slow, clearly injured and far from fighting shape. The Mirialan took a long look around the room, scanning the elevator room, seeing ornamental architecture and four sets of statues at each corner of the room. Each set contained two figures, both in robes with lightsabers at their hips - a master and an apprentice - this was some sort of a Sith compound. The question is...did this compound belong to Palpatine or did it belong to Count Dooku? Either way, a secret Sith laboratory hidden on a planet like Ypherro could explain the heavier than expected separatist presence on this world, the only question is, just what is down here? I clutched my lightsaber as I felt Master Avdune hold onto me again, the two of us moving together into the unknown.

"Look master, there's some sort of red pyramid on that pedestal." I pointed out as we entered the next room, seemingly the main chamber of this underground compound. The device seemed to have a stone shell and a dark center, glowing red from deep within. This was some sort of Sith device, that much was clear, but it wasn't a Holocron. I felt a familiar red-skinned Nautolan peeking through my mind, seemingly taking great interest in the device. This was something which Lady Attam wanted, which meant that...it meant it could be useful to us. I stopped with my master a pair distance from the device and turned to her as much as I could without letting her down "This must either belong to Palpatine or it belonged to Count Dooku, what if we were to take this - thus deriving the Sith of their power - and offer it to Lady Attam? It could buy us amnesty in the Grand Duchy of Taaszon."

"Zaliza...we can't go to Taaszon..." Master Avdune meekly argued, as if she didn't believe it herself. I understand that she didn't want to go and hide in a Sith state, I didn't really want to either, but I couldn't see any other alternative. With the clones betraying the Jedi on Palpatine's orders and the droids conveniently deactivated just after, there was no alternative other than Palpatine having controlled everything all along. Nowhere in the Republic was safe, nowhere in separatist space was safe, and we couldn't even be safe in Hutt space either - not that I trusted the Hutts to protect us to begin with, especially not after the stunt that Dalenda the Hutt pulled on us on Nar Shaddaa. I shuddered, I had to hope that Master Towaan and Padawan Ai'sunn were okay, I knew the chances were slim, but I had top hope that Thonna managed to survive Order 66 - the violet-skinned Twi'Lek deserved better.

"Master...where else could we go? Taaszon is the only place Palpatine doesn't know about - Phanza only gave the Republic those two outlying systems. The rest of the Grand Duchy is completely hidden." I reasoned. I had to imagine that Taaszon was high on Palpatine's list of loose ends - after all, I already figured that the separatist attack was an attempt by the separatists to wipe out a rival faction - now, knowing that Palpatine orchestrated all of it, the clones would no doubt be sent in next. They would be under attack, but I've seen what they possess, getting involved in a war against the Chancellor was infinitely safer than trying to hide within his reach, constantly being hunted, constantly forced to hide our powers. In Taaszon, we had a chance to live as Jedi, potentially rebuilt our order - sure a Jedi Order rebuilt within a Sith state is going to take on a peculiar form, but it is something - better than the alternative, waiting around to die as hermits and lowlifes while Palpatine reigns over the galaxy unopposed. If this is the galaxy of peace I had been fighting for, I'm not sure I ever really wanted it after all. Perhaps war with the Jedi is better than peace without them. I didn't know, none of us knew, we were going into a whole new era we knew nothing about.

"Do you think Lady Attam would even give us amnesty for this device? It's not a holocron, I don't even know what it is. It could be completely worthless to her for all I know." Master Avdune countered. She was more logical this time, I didn't know what this object was either. It was clearly some sort of Dark Side device, but that didn't necessarily mean that it was valuable to Lady Attam. For all we knew, she had hundreds of them piled up in a corner, well, that was all we were supposed to know anyway. I had a connection I wasn't supposed to have, I knew that Phanza Attam was interested in this Sith device and I had the ability to ask the Sith Lord directly. I pleaded with her silently through our Force connection to take the device and protect us from Palpatine and his forces - surprisingly, Lady Attam was very quick to accept, though that didn't necessarily make me feel better - perhaps it was unsurprising that she accepted, perhaps she considered this the perfect way to turn me over to the Dark Side and potentially turned my master over as well as an added bonus. I felt Phanza nod and she gave me her word that she would protect us, however, I couldn't exactly tell that to my master, luckily, I had something figured out.

"I don't know. I know that there is a chance though. At this point, can we really hope for anything more than a chance?" I asked my master. I saw the clones marching into the Jedi Temple, I saw Jedi scream as a blue lightsaber tore through them - likely a fallen Jedi, Palpatine's new apprentice - and I felt Jedi after Jedi die all over the galaxy. Nowhere was safe, nowhere except a place that Palpatine didn't know about it. In retrospect, it made sense that Palpatine wanted the whole map of Taaszon from Phanza, he wanted his favorite executioners to have the knowledge his droids didn't. I wondered how much Phanza knew - did she keep Taaszon secret because she knew what Palpatine was, or was that the plan all along? Either way, I would be able to ask her soon enough, assuming that Master Avdune and I were able to survive this that is.

"Well...no, but there's a problem. The coordinates for the Grand Duchy's systems are only in the _Sage's_ navigational systems. We would have to infiltrate a Republic flagship in order to do that. I'm in no shape to do that." Master Avdune argued. Now I didn't know what to do, I could get the coordinates from Phanza whenever possible, however, I couldn't tell that to my master. Now was not the time to reveal that I was communicating with a Sith Lord. I asked Phanza for some help, fortunately, for once, the Sith Lord was willing to help. _The Mirialan is complicating things again? Hmm, annoying. I suppose you could steal a Republic shuttle, transmit the Republic codes to get off world, and then tap into the Sage's network remotely, stealing the coordinates through Republic tech. At that point, just land in one of the cities on Imperius Prime and I'll meet you there with the Ultimate. _I thanked the Sith Lord for her help and relayed the plan to my master, finally getting the Mirialan to agree. I saw my green-skinned master raise her hand and use the Force to pull the pyramidal device to her. We had our bargaining chip and I had a secret guarantee from the Sith Lord, now all we had to do was actually get to Imperius Prime.

We were about to move forward towards the other, secret exit when we heard the elevator blown apart below us. Master Avdune and I turned back to see the elevator fall to the ground, followed by countless ropes as the clones repelled down into the secret base. We were out of time. I heard Ullara take a deep breath before practically forcing the Sith device in my hand. She grabbed her lightsaber in her now free hand and stood on her own - I saw that it hurt her and that her stance would be shaky at best, but that did not deter the Mirialan in the slightest. I watched as Master Avdune turned towards the clones, took one more deep breath, and turned back to me, her eyes told a thousand emotions. I saw acceptance of what was about to happen, I saw hurt over the clones' betrayal, I saw anger at the Jedi's failure to catch Palpatine, I saw a deep compassion my master had for me, and I saw a deep regret as Master Avdune glanced down at the Sith device before looking back in my eyes. She closed them for a brief moment and, with out final breath, Master Avdune said her final word.

"Go!" my master declared, igniting her green lightsaber and clearly preparing to make a last stand. Ullara Avdune wanted to make a final stand in order to allow me to escape Ypherro, to get those coordinates, and leave the planet, fleeing to Taaszon where I could survive as a Jedi, even if it meant I would be in the realm of the Sith. I couldn't think of any other option at this point, if we both fought, perhaps we could overpower this group, but the ray-shield was down, they could just call in the rest of the gunships to bring in more than enough clones to take us down - especially now that the battle droids were disabled - we could flee, but they would pursue us. I couldn't think of a scenario where we both got out alive, one of us had to sacrifice themselves, holding the line for the other to escape, and Master Avdune already decided she was going to be a burden on me. I couldn't argue against this plan, but I didn't think that it was right, I couldn't just let Master Avdune die, not after all that's happened. I learned to Force heal on the fly to save her, she couldn't just die after that!

"Master-" I tried to object but Master Avdune was having none of it, and what she did next shocked me to the core. Master Avdune silenced me by crashing her lips against mine. My eyes widened in shock but I closed them quickly, savoring the moment as much as I could. I didn't know what exactly this meant and I never got the chance to ask, because the next thing Ullara did was Force Push me away, behind a blast door. I scrambled to my feet, trying to get through the door to somehow save her despite the fact that the numbers were against us and that she was injured, but Master Avdune knew that I was stubborn. She used the Force to slam the blast door closed in my face. I was left with no choice but to flee, cutting through the door would just lead to the both of us getting killed and our escape plan being compromised. Master Avdune would fight and stand long enough to kill any clones who noticed I fled through the door and then buy me as much time as possible before she was overwhelmed. I shook my head because I didn't want to think about my master dying.

I took a much smaller elevator back up to the surface, trading an underground base for the constantly thunderstorm ridden jungle once again. I saw that I emerged deep in the trees, completely hidden. I knew that I probably should have gone looking for some sort of starship right away - hopefully one with autopilot, a good navicomputer, and, most importantly, a hyperdrive - to get off this planet. I no longer needed to get the codes off the Republic network, I could get them straight from Phanza, but I was in no shape to take the journey quite yet. I collapsed with my back against a tree and I wept. I wept for all the Jedi who perished in the temple and around the galaxy, I wept for all the people who would now have to suffer under a galaxy dominated by Palpatine, and I wept for Master Avdune. My perfectly flawed master who sacrificed herself to save me, leaving me with a wonderful kiss and millions of unanswered questions.

Eventually, I wiped my tears away and got back up to my feet, I had my key to getting to the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, finally seeing the mysterious Sith world which had alluded us, but first, I had to get there. A challenge easier said than done.

* * *

Alright guys, oof, that was an interesting chapter to write. The Sith device seen here is indeed a Sith Wayfinder, the macguffin clumsily introduced in the clumsy film that is Rise of Skywalker. We'll get more into this particular Wayfinder and the vault it was found in as we get into act two, I will say this though, it doesn't lead to Exogul. My thoughts on Rise of Skywalker were positive initially, I thought it was a fun watch, I didn't think it was very fun to think about though - whereas Last Jedi is probably one of the more frustrating Star Wars movies to watch but gives you a ton to think about if you look for it - Luke's story line and growth for instance, the idea of Kylo wanting to abandon both the Jedi and the Sith which JJ subsequenty completely abandoned, and the suggestion that there are shades of gray in the galaxy with the Canto Bight arms dealers, which everyone seems to overlook for the, admittedly silly, space horse chase. Anyway, you guys didn't come here to see my ramble on about why I think that Last Jedi is the best of the sequel trilogy, you're here for a prequel/interquel era story line. Going forward, I will be attempting to bridge together some of the KOTOR and SWTOR era lore of the Sith with some of the information we learned in the newest movie - hint, there's a reason why Phanza considers Sidious and the rule of two Sith as pretenders - amongst other things.

Going into act two, we will also see the transition from clone troopers and related equipment like the Venator-class Star Destroyer to stormtroopers and their Imperial-class Star Destroyers. I feel like we've seen a lot of the between III and IV interquel era but we haven't really seen all that much of the direct aftermath to Episode III - I think the Darth Vader comic book is an exception to that, but, to be honest, I'm not really all that interested in comic books. In any case, I'm going to try and capture a galaxy in transition in act two. Next chapter will follow Zaliza Vyvan's journey to Taaszon.

And yes, I did stretch the author's notes to get the chapter Order 66 at 6,600 words.


	10. Nightfall of The Old Republic

Alright guys, we're here with the ending of act one! This is admittedly going to be a bit of a downer ending - I mean, you guys read the last chapter, can't exactly turn that around - and I feel like this is a natural place to let the story sit for a little while. This is a result of me taking on a bit of a seasonal approach with my writing. I have decided that, two weeks after this posts, I will be starting a new story, after going some ways with that, I will return to The Armored Berserkers to pick up from the Prologue of that story, and then after that, I will pick up with act two of this story. I'll leave a bit of a hint as to what I'm gonna write next in the ending author's note of this chapter. And yes, this chapter's title is a blatant Knights of The Old Republic reference, deal with it.

I wish I didn't have to say this by the way, but I'm seeing the Star Wars fandom is going negative, _again_. I was really refreshed to see everyone enjoying Mandalorian for the most part and I felt happy to see positive hype going into Clone Wars season seven. Now, we're in the second arc of season seven and, from what I've seen is the reactions to "Gone with a Trace" and "Deal or No Deal" are pretty negative. People are calling these episodes filler and, quite frankly, I don't understand it - did you guys really want to see nothing of Ahsoka's life without the Jedi? Sure Trace's hair is utterly awful and Rafa's isn't much better, yes they've both mads awful decisions, but people make awful decisions all the time. Corona beer is literally seeing declining sales because of the pandemic, people are dumb, the fact that it's taken a deadly plague for people to stop drinking Corona is proof of that. Anyway, the point is that I'm glad to see what Ahsoka is doing and, while these episodes aren't the best, I don't think they deserve so much negativity. I am sick and tired of the negativity in this fandom. Rant over, sorry, here's the chapter.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act I.

The Last Days of The Jedi Order.

Chapter X.

Nightfall of The Old Republic.

* * *

I crouched behind some crates near an outpost the Republic was setting up near the circular compound housing that Sith lair. An ARC-170 starfighter was fueled up and ready to go just a few feet away from me, but lifting off in a starfighter is hardly subtle and I'm not a very good pilot at all. R9 always did the piloting for me, but I didn't have the astromech with me, in fact, I don't think I'll ever see that little guy again. I needed to cause some sort of distraction, doing something that will draw the clones far enough away from that starfighter and their ships that I can be in orbit before they react. I peaked over the crates and searched for something that would really cause a distraction. I finally caught two carts of munitions, missiles that were meant to be transported to the gunships or starfighters. I rose a hand, ready to fling one of the wheeled carts into the other, causing a huge explosion and demanding an emergency response from the clones, however, the voice in my head, the voice of a Sith Lord interrupted me. Unfortunately, the voice was all the voice of the one person I had left now that the Jedi were purged.

_Allow me. _Lady Attam announced and I watched as two lightning bolts ripped from the skies, striking the munitions. The combined power of the lightning strikes and the explosive payloads of the missiles triggered two massive explosions. The clones rushed to grab hoses, move other munitions away from the now raging fire, and save their injured allies. I sat there, knelt behind a crate and observing the carnage in utter shock, just how much power did Phanza have? She wasn't even on Ypherro...perhaps she was using me as a conduit for her power, but she still tore lightning from the skies rather than generating it through my body. I never knew a Jedi with that much power, nor a Sith. I never heard of Count Dooku doing anything quite like that. _Get out of here! They won't be distracted forever!_

Phanza's order put me back into action. I sprang to my feet and ran over to the ARC fighter, activating it and taking off. I wasn't much of a pilot, but I was a rather crafty Jedi, so, as the Clones realized what I was up to, I decided to bring myself a little bit of extra time. I turned to fight ninety degrees to the right, angling my thrusters back at the clones and the raging fire they were facing. I hit the afterburners with full power and I launched the clones back, away from the rest of the fighters and the gunships. I relaxed the afterburners, not having the confidence to fly at full speed, before angling the nose up, gaining altitude. I was fully vertical soon enough and, gently, I added more power to the mix, breaking through the clouds of Ypherro and trying to break out of the atmosphere as quickly as possible.

The cockpit and the wings were covered in rain and I understood that, gaining altitude this quickly and heading off into space, the water would turn to ice. Not knowing how to use the controls of the starfighter to clear the liquid, I took one hand off of the controls and used the Force to fling the water off. The fighter was clear and ice free by the time I left the atmosphere, coming out into orbit. I looked behind me and even checked the ship's sensors, none of the clones were pursuing just yet, distracted by the fire and the blowback from my take off. At least, that's what I thought it was, the truth ended up behind more sinister than that. The controls started shaking and they grew entirely unresponsive as I realized what had happened - the clones weren't pursuing because they reported my escape to the Venator-class Star Destroyers in orbit. I escaped the surface, but now a tractor beam was pulling me onto the _Sage_. I was going to get pulled onto a ship full of hostile clone troopers.

I tried to amplify my strength with the Force to twist the controls away by Force but that did nothing more than change the angle of the ship as the tractor beam continued to overpower it. I knew I had laser guns and some missiles on this starship, but one starfighter against three Star Destroyers with their own full compliments of clone pilots wasn't exactly a winnable fight. Of course, the alternative is getting pulled inside a ship full of clones. I can't possibly fight an entire Star Destroyer's worth of clones, but I can't win the star battle either, and that's assuming I can even get out of this tractor beam. I needed help. I tapped into the Force Bond and, once again, I begged Lady Attam for help. I couldn't do this alone.

_I can't get you out of the tractor beam, but once you're in that hanger, I can cause a distraction for you. Then it's up to you to sneak through that ship and find out how you're going to get away from the blockade. All the while the Clones will be looking for you. Good luck Zaliza, it would be a pity to lose you so early in my plans. _Lady Attam smirked once again through our bond. She wasn't being particularly helpful, not that I expected anything different from a Sith Lord, though at least, based on what happened down on the surface, I could depend on Phanza for a good distraction. A good distraction that surely delighted her given that she got to slaughter dozens of clones in the process, but after Witchcraft murdered by master, it's hard to have sympathy for those traitors.

The ship passed through the hanger and I set it down smoothly, trying not to draw any extra attention to myself. That didn't seem to have much effect whatsoever as the clones were already surrounding the ARC fighter, aiming their guns and even setting up a few EWHB-12 automatic cannons. I wasn't sure what kind of distraction was going to save me now, Lady Attam is going to need some real lightning tricks to get me out of this one. Her solution, however, turned out to be far more simple than I had been expecting - she used the Force to deactivate the rayshield around the hanger. I watched, from the pressurized cockpit of the ARC fighter, as every single clone in the hanger was jettisoned into the vacuum of space. The effect was so great that even some crates, munitions, and starfighters got loose, though nothing beyond the clones and some light equipment was actually blown out into space before Phanza reactivated the rayshield. I got off the ARC fighter in a now empty hanger and rushed to the other end, hiding in an alcove as an investigating party of clones entered the hanger.

I held my breath, silently using the Force to cycle air through my nostrils manually, a task which took excruciating focus, but one which made it so that the clones wouldn't hear a sound. I waited there for perhaps five minutes, but those five minutes felt like an eternity as I waited for the clones to fan out and searching distant corners of the hanger. This was how it was going to be on the _Sage_, the clones knew I was here and they would constantly be hunting for me. I needed to get off this ship as quickly as possible, but there was a tractor beam on this ship and, because the _Tython _and the _Coruscant Temple_ had tractor beams as well, I couldn't just disable the one on this ship. No, I needed to give them a reason to let me off this ship. Unfortunately, giving a legion of bloodthirsty clones programmed to kill Jedi a reason to let a Jedi Padawan off their ship is easier said than done. In any case, I knew I had to get out of this hanger before those clones searching for me turn around and find me. Sneaking slowly and silently, I slipped out of the hanger and into the familiar halls outside, halls I knew thought would become hostile territory.

I thought about my options. I couldn't disguise myself because I look nothing like a clone trooper, the uniforms are just that, uniform, completely and utterly. I'm not the right size or shape to fit into an armor custom made specifically for copies of Jango Fett. I couldn't hide in the ventilation system because this is a spaceship, the ventilation system is only as large as it needs to be and no larger - it makes absolutely no sense for a ventilation system larger enough for someone to crawl through would be on any form of spacecraft - air is a gas, it doesn't need a giant vent system, giant vent systems are just good for infiltration by an enemy force and no one wants to build a ship that can be easily infiltrated by an enemy force...unfortunately, that bit of logic is what's making my job harder, given that I am infiltrating a ship and, despite fighting alongside me for the entire war, these clones now consider me an enemy force. I decided that, what I needed to do is get to another hanger - one which is still operating business as usual - and sneak into its command center. I'll take care of the clones inside and then I'll enter the system and give ships permission to leave this hanger. With any luck, I'll be out of the hanger and in hyperspace before the bridge figures out what's going on and overrides everything.

Ready to enact my plan, giving the Star Destroyers a reason not to use their tractor beams on me, I started moving towards the hanger on the opposite end of the ship. I couldn't go to the main hangers running across the length of the Venators because those are the largest and most guarded of hangers, additionally, once I left those hangers, I would be deposited directly in the line of site of the bridge. I needed as much time as possible without the command structure of the three ships realizing what I was up to so that wasn't an option. Thus, I was popping in and out of hallways, taking wild turns whenever I heard a group of clone troopers approaching, and heading through hallways which I knew were seldom used. I avoided entering rooms and I avoided busy corridors, I knew that, if I found anyone, there would be a fight. Fights are slow and nosy, trying to take down a pair of clone troopers could result in me being boxed in by half the troops on this vessel. I had to be careful and I had to be patient, every move I made was a calculated risk and every clone I tried to sneak past was a potential opportunity for being killed. I fought with these men, I trained with these men, I talked with these men, I knew that they were infinitely more of a threat than any battle droid because they were, fundamentally, people.

These clones, brainwashed by Palpatine or not, had something that no droid could ever have, intuition. The clones had the sense that I was there when they got close to me, they visible slowed and grew jittery, just waiting for any and every sound. A few of these close calls later and I found myself sneaking past walls of clone troopers as I got close to the hanger - the individual clones were reporting to their allies where they thought I was and they were figuring out my plan, the fact that I wanted to escape through this hanger anyway - the longer I spent on board the _Sage, _the more likely I was to get caught. I knew I was getting closer to the hanger and part of me felt it would just be safer to ignite both blades of my lightsaber and get through as fast as possible, however, that meant all focus would come on this section of the ship. There is no way the bridge would overlook the starboard hanger lifting its quarantine if there was a confirmed sighting of me anywhere near it. The whole point of this plan was to avoid being detected and avoid drawing attention to myself, I needed to get out of here instantly and I needed to do it without the bridge realizing what I was up to. In short, the longer I take, the greater chance I have of getting caught, the faster I rush, the greater the chance of all of this failing. I survived the initial attack of Order 66, I knew exactly where I had to go for sanctuary, and I had managed to slip past the Republic ground forces on Ypherro, but all it took to unravel my escape plan was a tractor bream, a tractor beam which has left me trapped and alone on a Republic vessel.

I sat crouched in the shadow of an alcove as twelve clones in two lines of six marched past me, clearly a grand search party. I hadn't paid much attention to it during the war, but the clones armor has, slowly but surely, grown more menacing. Visors used to be taller, with a thicker bridge between the visor and the mouth, and the fin on the top of the helmet was thinner and taller, now, the visors slope upwards from the eyes towards a thinner nose bridge, the V-shaped mouths are now flatter, and the fin on the top of the heads are lower, thicker, and less pronounced. The stylized and perhaps even idealistic armor of the beginning of the war has become more militarized, more aggressive, and more rugged. Perhaps that was a sign that they had been consumed by war, or perhaps that was their fate from the beginning, after all, for all intents and purposes, the clones are child soldiers who happen to look twice their age. The accelerated aging means we have sent thousands of ten year olds to their deaths all around the galaxy, their betrayal is completely inexcusable, I cannot believe that Warlock would go from saving my life to trying to take it with just a message on a holocommunicator, there must be brainwashing or some Dark Side magic involved, but the Jedi Order had fallen long before Order 66. We weren't peacekeepers, we were generals and murderers, leading the galaxy deeper into the cesspit of war rather than trying to guide it out. We lost our values, we lost our morality, and, unfortunately, we lost our lives before anyone could actually try and save the Jedi.

I could still save myself though, it is neither a selfless or a magnanimous act, but hopefully, by surviving, by escaping Palpatine's grasp, perhaps I can reform some version of the Jedi Order - who knows how such an Order would look, who knows if Lady Attam or the other Sith in Taaszon would meddle with our Order, who knows if reforming it is even possible, the point is...I have to try - I can live on do to selfless and magnanimous acts. I may die without being able to actually accomplish anything, but even that would be better than dying here. I slipped out of the alcove and took advantage of a clear corridor to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, ending up just outside the hanger. Unfortunately, there was an obstacle between me and actually getting into the hanger. Six clones of the 1204th battalion stood blocking the way into the hanger, keeping me away from its command center. My plan for escape was compromised, if I couldn't get into there, climb the steps to the command center, and let ships get out, then I was as good as dead. I thought about reaching out with the Force and mind-tricking the guards, but them leaving for no explainable reason would be suspicious and attract further clones to investigate, clones which I wouldn't have gotten in my initial mind trick. I could also use the Force to push something in the distance, making a noise for the clones to investigate, but these clones know that they are up against a Jedi, they wouldn't fall for such a textbook trick. I was running out of time and options when a forgotten friend intervened.

I watched, with incredulous shock, as R9-W3 rolled into a clone at full speed, knocking him over. I listened as R9 whizzed and whined about some utter nonsense, demanding the clones' attention. My jaw practically dropped when the clones actually ran off down the opposite end of the hallway, acting on R9's trumped up story. The red and purple astromech, seeing the coast was clear, rolled over to me. I completely forgot where the droid was or that he even existed, yet here he was, saving me and...if he was here, then that had to mean my ship was here. I didn't know if stealing back my fighter was necessarily the best idea, but if I could get it back, with R9 helping me fly it, I could at least maneuver and fight properly if I needed to, though I intended to escape this blockade around Ypherro without fighting, after all, I stood no change against the power that decimated the jungles of Ypherro during the separatist counterattack. That awesome power would tear my dinky little Delta 7B apart in mere seconds, not to mention all the fighters, bombers, and gunships still on-board these three Venator-class Star Destroyers. I wanted to be able to fight if I needed to, that didn't mean I was going to put myself up against suicidal odds.

"R9!" I whispered a thankful greeting to the droid "Thank the Force you're alright. Listen, I need to get out of here, can you go and convince the clones you need to fly out of the hanger while I go lift the lockdown on this hanger? If you can get my starfighter and hyperspace ring, slip a reason past the clones - they won't care, you're just an astromech to them - then we can both get out of here. Can you help me out?"

The droid responded to my question with positive and affirmative whirls, I cringed at the amount of noise he made, but then I remembered that the droid does this all the time and the clones of the 1204th have become accustomed to ignoring it. I remained in the shadows as R9 rolled away, going up to some clones and hollering out a rushed and tangential speech about how he needed to get out of the hanger and he needed my ship to do it. If the clones actually stopped to listen and think about what the droid was saying, they probably would have found it suspicious, instead, the unfortunate clone trooper just stared at the droid, dumbly, and eventually said that he can go once the lockdown was over. I waited until the clone turned around and, rather quickly, got as far away from the annoying droid as quickly as possible. Smirking at his success, I sprung into action, my job rendered significantly easier with the help of my astromech.

The droid proved an excellent distraction, amusing some clones and utterly annoying others, drawing attention well away from me. I took advantage and climbed up the steps to the command center over the hanger, finding a group of clones in uniforms rather than armor, these were clones tasked with utility, engineering, and administrative roles rather than serving as combat units. These clones were overseen by Republic officers on the bridge, ultimately answering to an admiral, though luckily, I wasn't confronted with any actual officers, no one with families or lives, that might make this somewhat easier. I used the Force to pull the clones towards the middle of the room, well away from any of the consoles they could alert the bridge from, and I put them down with my lightsaber. I had no other choice, this was the only way to end the lockdown. I couldn't sneak past a room full of clones programmed to kill me to end the lockdown, they would either attack me themselves or sound every alarm they had, flooding this command center with clones. They may share a face with the clone who sniped my master dead, but I couldn't help but know I was murdering innocent clones as I slashed through them, stabbed them, and hacked them apart. I deactivated my lightsaber in disgust once the act was done, silently observing what I had just done. I shook the bad thoughts away and moved to end the lockdown in the hanger before anyone noticed something was wrong. I input the correct sequence and watched as the clones cleared R9 for take off.

I rushed back down the steps and into the hanger proper. The hyperspace ring was released out into space and R9 was ready to go in the fighter, I just needed to get into the cockpit without any clones catching me, and I was working on borrowed time to begin with. The longer the lockdown remained down, the more likely the bridge was to notice something was wrong in this hanger and, on a smaller scale, the longer R9 sat here idly in his fighter, the more likely the clones here were to grow suspicious of the little droid. I waited until the clones were all facing away and, using the Force to accelerate my movements, I rushed with impossible speed to the fighter, hopping into the cockpit. Once I was sat inside, I knew I was pretty much safe, the clones, unless they were specifically paying attention, would probably completely overlook me sitting inside the cockpit. They may have intuition and they may be far more adaptable than droids, but they are human, and being human comes with a handful of setbacks. The human mind can overlook something out of place if it doesn't seem out of place, these clones know this is my fighter and, even if they see me in the fighter, they may take a moment to realize that they shouldn't be seeing that. The critical moment which makes the difference between me getting killed and me getting away completely unharmed.

The ship slipped out of the hanger and soon docked with the hyperspace ring. I took a hyperspace jump to Nar Shaddaa - it was the most recent set of coordinates on my starfighter that was outside of Republic space - simply because i wanted to get away from the Republic fleet. Taking a jump to Coruscant was a death sentence, if the clones betrayed us here, they would be all over Coruscant. I tapped into my Force bond with Lady Attam to get the coordinates for Imperius Prime, knowing that the Sith would help me. Sure, most would think that the Sith Lord would simply stab me in the back and take the Sith device for herself, but I know that Lady Attam is too greedy for that, she wants me as an apprentice. The fall of the Jedi Order and my dependence on her leaves me vulnerable, for an opportunistic Sith like Phanza, this is the perfect time to strike, the perfect time to attempt making me her Sith apprentice, therefore, I know I will be safe. The red-skinned Nautolan with her black tattoos gave me her word that I would be safe there and she has her own selfish motivations for keeping me safe, so, I plugged the coordinates for Imperius Prime into my ship's navigational computer. My fighter exited hyperspace and reoriented itself before jumping back in, making a flight plan for The Grand Duchy of Taaszon. I probably shouldn't trust the Sith so much, but right now, Taaszon is my only chance for survival.

Suddenly, R9 started on about a distress signal calling all Jedi to return to the Jedi Temple. The astromech droid, in his naivety, wanted me to turn back and journey to the Temple, right back to Coruscant and right into Palpatine's grasp. This distress signal was a blatant trap, I saw Order 66 with my own eyes, I even saw Palpatine give the order directly to Commander Warlock, there was no chance that I was now going to turn back, going to the Republic homeworld where Palpatine had absolute control, going to the place with more clones than anywhere else in the galaxy. Any Jedi who goes to Coruscant is going to be killed. I wish I could do something about it, but I was too far away and too weak, I couldn't beat Palpatine and stop the distress signal. I had to live on, I had a greater purpose in mind after all, I was intent on reforming the Jedi. The Jedi Order has already fallen, it was deeply flawed and consumed by hypocrisy long before the mass execution, trying to save the stragglers would only lead to more pain and suffering, and it could potentially undermine my new order from the very beginning, what is the point of reforming the Jedi only for them to make the very same mistakes they made before the Clone Wars? I was a weak Jedi, a mere Padawan, I couldn't save the others and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to. I was determined to do the greater good, therefore, I told R9 to disregard the distress signal from Coruscant and I continued on my path to Imperius Prime. I would deal with the Sith and I would rebuild the Jedi, rebuilding them the right way.

I wasn't sure if I was the right person to rebuild the Jedi though. I've been under the influence of a Sith Lord ever since Master Avdune and I got back from Felucia and encounter Phanza for the first time, I used Force Lightning to devastating effect on Dxun, and now I slaughtered a room full of innocent clones just so that I could escape the _Sage_. Now, I was going to try and rebuild the Jedi on Taaszon, but how could I do that if I was already starting to slip? I couldn't deny that Lady Attam was starting to get to me, I was falling to the Dark Side, I couldn't deny that. I had been attached with Master Avdune, too attached, that night we shared a bed and that final kiss we shared was proof of that, now, I had to live in a world without Master Avdune, in a world without the one person anchoring me to the light. If Master Yoda is right about attachment leading to fear and suffering, I will be in the midst of that while surrounded by Dark Side users and their disciples, how could I possibly resist the Dark Side in that environment? I was confused and filled with self doubt as my fighter continued to fly monotonously through the streaking blue lights of hyperspace, flying closer and closer to Sith space, my future very much uncertain.

* * *

The chaotic nature of Imperius Prime revealed itself to me once again as snow fell on the top of my starfighter as the lava from the streams below heated the bottom. Tightly backed jungles filled with the scavenged ruins of Republic and separatist tanks soon gave way to an urban cityscape as my fighter came in for a landing at Zavros City. R9 used his thrusters to fly out of his cavity and land while I climbed out of the cockpit and touched down on the ground, facing an approaching Sith Lord. I watched as Lady Attam, this time in a black, red, and gold robe, strutted down a bridge linking this landing pad to a tower, flanked by Ruumshi and Avoine. The red-skinned Nautolan strutted confidently near me, her tattooed head-tails resting up over the front of her shoulders and down her chest, her large black eyes and her arrogant smirk filling up her face. The orange-skinned Zabrak to her right and the pale, blonde human to her left carried their deactivated lightsaber pikes, impressive weapons for a pair of non-Force users, but weapons they certainly knew how to use. The three of them seemed powerful enough to me, but apparently, it wasn't enough for Phanza, Lady Attam wanted an overwhelming welcome. Lined up on either end of the bridge were the black and purple armored Taaszon troopers, the Sith infantry standing at attention for their leader. I scanned the rooftops of nearby towers, finding Ceyla and HK-107 on two separate overlooking areas. The Mandalorian Echani gave me a nod, but the droid was even less receptive than that. Lady Attam, with this welcome, was making things abundantly clear, I was entering her domain and things were going to happen her way. I gulped but stood strong, there was no turning back now.

I did, however, turn around when I heard a formation of starfighters flying by. Six Bisector-class Starfighters led by a Devastator-class Super Starfighter fly by the outskirts of the city in a V-formation, yet another display of the power of The Grand Duchy of Taaszon by Lady Attam. War is a purely destructive force, it is a force which has corrupted the Jedi, taken millions of lives throughout the war, and it is the force which robbed me of my master, but I couldn't deny being impressed. If this show of force is indicative of what the Grand Duchy can do, then perhaps I will be safe here. If the only way to guarantee peace in the galaxy is by confronting Palpatine with Margraviate-class Dreadnoughts and Sith apprentices, then perhaps that false peace is better than yet another war. The power-hungry Chancellor has revealed himself as a Sith Lord, the master of Count Dooku, the leader of this pretender faction that has been in a secret war against Taaszon. The separatist attack had been an attempt for Palpatine to clean up loose ends before Order 66, but, when it stalled and the Sith asked the Republic for help to turn back the separatists, the Chancellor changed tactics. The Chancellor wanted the Republic, his favorite executioners, to possess a map of all of Taaszon, Phanza, out of either a retroactively justifiable paranoia or out of knowing more than we did, refused, giving only what was absolutely necessary to the Republic. Now, Taaszon is arming up these border worlds and keeping their true heartlands in the shadows. If war is coming, Taaszon knows exactly what Palpatine can wield against them, but Palpatine cannot truly predict what the Grand Duchy can wield against him. Peace through fear is hardly an ideal, but, with the Jedi Order eradicated and the Republic now in the hands of a mad dictator, I cannot afford to be idealistic, I have to be pragmatic, I have to settle for any kind of peace.

"Welcome back to The Grand Duchy of Taaszon dear Zaliza, I trust you have the device?" Lady Attam asked, the Sith Lord and aristocrat was keeping up her usual bemused, affable, and polite disguise, however, her evil, her greed, and her impatience revealed themselves over this Sith device. I'm not sure if it was Count Dooku or Chancellor Palpatine, but one of those Sith Lords had been hiding this Sith device under separatist guard on Ypherro, hiding it in the vault where my master sacrificed herself. That alone showed that this device was significant, but why wasn't it hidden on Coruscant with Palpatine or on Socorro with Dooku? Unless, of course, one of the Sith wanted to hide it from the other. This was going into the domain of Sith power games, the domain that I figured that Lady Attam flourished in. Perhaps that is why Phanza wanted this device so badly, but I felt that it was more than that. This was some sort of powerful device...I wanted to get my hands off of it as soon as possible, and I figured that giving it to Phanza rather than letting Palpatine's clones come across it was the lesser of two evils. I didn't dare try and destroy it, who knows what Sith powers destroying this device may unleash?

"I do," I pulled the Sith device out and I was about to hand it over to the Sith Lady when I stopped. I feared this device, I feared Phanza Attam to an extent, therefore, I couldn't just give it to her in good conscience without at least knowing what it is. Yes, Lady Attam was offering me a place to live and survive openly as a Jedi where I could try and do some good for the galaxy rather than waiting around to die, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to question her when I felt that it was right to do so. Phanza had reached for the device but, seeing my pull it back, she rose a brow in a silent question - not an actual eyebrow, given that she doesn't have those, but the physical brow - to which, I finally replied "But first, What is it?"

"Ah ha, this," Phanza said before pulling the device out of my hands with the Force, grabbing it for herself. The woman was powerful and she enjoyed flaunting her power, however, the Sith did seem to have some twisted sense of morality as she did tell me all about it. Additionally, the fact that I'm still alive despite Phanza having two lines of guards, a pair of more than capable bodyguards, two snipers positioned overhead, and her own awesome power to tap into, suggests that she is going to keep her word and give me a place to live, peacefully. Phanza turned around and started to walk back to the central tower, me walking alongside her with Ruumshi and Avoine trailing behind, Ceyla and HK-107 following on the rooftops from a distance. Lady Attam began explaining the device as we traveled down the bridge overlooking Zavros City "This device is a Sith Wayfinder. In ancient times, they were created to guide the Sith to a new homeworld after The Great Hyperspace War, leading to the lost world of Dromund Kaas where Emperor Vitiate rebuilt Sith civilization. Once The Sith Empire was defeated, the fractured remains would repurpose these Wayfinders. Taaszon itself can only be reached by using our Wayfinders, publishing our hyperspace coordinates is punishable by death, hence, I directed you here rather than to our homeworld. Palpatine's faction presumably has Wayfinders leading to the origin of these pretenders, the world where they first bastardized the Sith with the rule of two, reducing themselves from a force that could conquer the galaxy openly to a force that had to subvert it. If we can find this planet, if this Wayfinder is truly what I think it is, we may be able to do to Palpatine what he has done to the whole galaxy."

"We?" I asked. I came here to escape Palpatine and to rebuild my way of life, I came here hoping for a peaceful existence rather than one of suffering and being hunted, I came here because of the enforced neutrality that Taaszon can provide, I did not come here to engage in a hopeless war between evil factions. I hated seeing Palpatine reigning over the galaxy, ruling from Coruscant and possessing the largest and most populated planets in the galaxy - worlds like Corellia, Alderaan, and Naboo - but that didn't mean I was willing to put millions, perhaps even billions, of lives in danger just to leave another faction of Sith in control of the whole galaxy. I knew Phanza, perhaps I even trusted her, but that didn't mean I was willing to let her take over everything. Even if I was willing to fight, we had to face reality, The Grand Duchy of Taaszon is a minuscule rump state at the edge of the galaxy, it was a large military for its size, but Palpatine has the combined resources of both the Republic and the separatists, he has Kamino constantly producing droids, and, if need be, he probably has a way of reactivating all those battle droids he had deactivated. We were outnumbered, possessing only a tiny fraction of the population of the Republic, we were up against virtually unlimited resources, and our enforced neutrality would only work if we didn't make it worthwhile for Palpatine to destroy us. Right now, Palpatine doesn't know what Taaszon has and, according to the Wayfinders, he has no way of getting to Taaszon, however, if we reveal all our resources in an open war, we will give Palpatine a reason to destroy us and, sooner rather than later, a Sith with a Wayfinder will be killed in battle. It's simple, neutrality represents life and prosperity for Taaszon, war represented guaranteed destruction. I wanted to undermine Palpatine just as much as anyone else, but we have to be realistic here.

"Yes, we," Phanza said ominously as we entered the tower in the center of Zavros City, the tallest and largest building revealing itself to be some sort of Sith Citadel. We entered the gigantic main hall, a huge open room with a glowing red pyramid in the center, an object that was absolutely radiant with the Dark Side of the Force. All around this room, various Sith walked around, openly and knowingly flaunting their power. There didn't seem to be a uniform for these Sith, they were able to personalize their robes and armor, though some things seemed to reign in common between them. Black and purple was the most common color combination, but black and red was common as well, many wore gold and silver trim. Most wore hooded robes, though some wore armor, some even wearing capes, some of the high ranking Sith wore rather ridiculous pointed pauldrons on their shoulders, but this was not an ubiquitous practice, after all, Phanza was a Sith Lord and the apprentice of Grand Duchess Voytana, yet she didn't wear pauldrons. These Sith were various races, humans were the most common, naturally, however, aliens were present at every level of the Sith ranks, Chiss being particularly common amongst aliens. The blue skinned, red-eyed, isolationist race seemed to have a significant presence on Taaszon, rather strange for a race almost never seen in the galaxy outside of Chiss space. I believe Phanza mentioned at one point or another that several Chiss worlds are under Taaszon's full control. The tolerance for aliens was so clear in Taaszon that, despite her exotic race, the other Sith showed deference to Lady Attam, some going so far as to bow before her as we walked by. This deference even extended to me...it was as if the Sith already thought of me as Phanza's corrupted Jedi turned apprentice, knowing that I was off limits to anyone but her. I wasn't that though, I was still a Jedi, the last one perhaps.

We circled around the pyramid and exited out the other end of the citadel - I think guiding me through this building was yet another show of force, showing that she had far more Sith than the mere two of the so-called pretenders - coming out to a bridge and, at the end of it, a familiar Ravager-class Sith Interceptor. I heard a jetpack fire up and I looked over my shoulder to see Ceyla hover down to the ground, then, on the other end, HK-107 leaped down from the rooftops and touched down. Ceyla, HK-107, Ruumshi, Avoine, R9-W3, and I all followed Lady Attam on board the _Ultimate. _I took a deep breath before boarding the ramp onto the ship, boarding a ramp leading onto my new future. The Jedi were gone, Master Avdune was sniped down by a treacherous clones and then she finally sacrificed herself in battle against those clones to let me get away, and now, now I was in a Sith state, dreading that war was perhaps on the horizon once again.

* * *

Alright guys, the end of an era and the end of act one. This story will return at some point within the next year I think, however, if you want superpowers and lightning, you won't have to wait too long, stay tuned. Hints aside, I will have a new story coming two weeks after this posts and I hope you guys will check it out, meanwhile, I'm also coming onto the last ten chapters of my Europa Universalis inspired alt-history story, The Legacy of The Romans, so check that out if you want 17th century warfare, lesbian romance, and monarchism.

I was worried at one point that I wouldn't have much free time going forward, though then I got the news that my classes will be online for the rest of the semester, therefore, I'm gonna have a lot more time for writing than I thought. I won't be writing this story for awhile, but I will be writing for those two other stories I mentioned, so please, check it out, maybe you'll enjoy!


	11. The Grand Duchy of Taaszon

Hello everyone, we are back! I am satisfied with how act one turned out and I loved seeing Clone Wars season seven, I even felt like some of the emotions and some of the scenes in each touched on similar themes, which is always cool. Now, in this vastly different quarantine world, we're getting into act two, exploring the very first days of the Empire, this Grand Duchy of Taaszon, and, some Secrets of The Outer Rim! Is eleven chapters enough to include self-referential humor? Probably not, anyway, here is chapter eleven, picking up right where act one ended. I hope you enjoy!

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XI.

The Grand Duchy of Taaszon.

* * *

"Sit down and strip in Zaliza, the journey to Taaszon is a...bumpy one, to say the least." Phanza explained as I followed her instructions, sitting down behind the Echani Mandalorian Ceyla, who was in the pilot seat. HK-107, surprisingly enough, sat in the co-pilot's seat of the Ravager-class Sith Interceptor. R9 rolled up next to me and collapsed his legs down, magnetizing with a series of worrying beeps. I still couldn't quite understand the droid, but I still rested my hand on his red and purple dome, trying to reassure my one and only remaining link to the Republic and the Jedi Order. Ruumshi and Avoine, Phanza's bodyguards, sat down as well, sitting at the rear of the cockpit - even in this position they were framing the entrance, ready to defend their mistress with their electrostaffs - meanwhile, Phanza herself stood tall, pulling a purple pyramid shaped wayfinder from her robes, lowering it into a circular pedestal in the _Ultimate's _console, sinking it into an indentation in the surface. The circular surface lit up with purple light and the navicomputer received the information, plotting a chart to Taaszon. Lady Attam sat down behind HK-107, in the seat opposite of me, and the ship blasted off into hyperspace, bathing us in blue light. I took a deep breath, finally getting a moment to relax.

I probably shouldn't have felt so safe around a Sith Lord and her dangerous cadre of companions, but I did, in a way I didn't even on Imperius Prime - I wasn't comfortable around the Sith, I was comfortable around this Sith, that was a comforting, if unimportant, distinction - however, that comfort didn't last long as a chilling realization truly struck my body. During all the horrors I experienced recently, I had a purpose - first to survive, then to escape Ypherro, and finally to get to Taaszon - but now, now that I was really on my way there, I didn't have a purpose to distract me from the horrible circumstances around me. Master Avdune was sniped, but I still had hope that we could escape, that I could save her, but then, with that confounding kiss, she sacrificed herself to let me escape Count Dooku's secret sanctum, now, my master was dead. Was she more than my master? I don't even know, I want to consider her my friend, I want to think that the kiss meant something, but then again, on the other hand, I didn't even trust her enough to tell her about this Force Bond with Phanza. Lady Attam may be the only person I know that I have left, but that doesn't change the fact that she accused my master of being a liar, when really, I was the one lying to her ever since Phanza first spoke to me through the Force. Now, I was dependent on a Sith, likely on a collision course with the Empire regardless of what I wanted, and I was left to confront these feelings myself.

_I know it won't help and I know you don't want to hear it from me, but I didn't want Ullara to die. She seemed like a valiant Jedi and a talented warrior_. I looked up to see Phanza, the Nautolan slightly looking towards me, communicating slightly through our Force bond so as to not publicize my emotional turmoil. I sat there silently and uncontemplated what Phanza told me. I had always assumed that she intended to replace Ullara Avdune as my master and seduce me to the Dark Side, and I still had to suspect as much, however, something about her message seemed oddly genuine. I also noticed that, despite usually disparaging my master and trying to goad her into a fight, making her drop her Jedi ideals, Phanza did compliment her in the end and show a certain understanding of her, making the distinction between Jedi and between warriors. I don't mean to be too sympathetic to a Sith, especially not given her accusations against Master Avdune, but perhaps all those insults and prodding remarks were tests, trying to test Ullara's determination and strength of character, tests which the Mirialan succeeded.

I didn't dwell on this too much, because, all of a sudden, we dropped out of hyperspace and I instantly understood what Phanza warned me about, as the _Ultimate_ emerged in the chaotic, icy rings of what I assumed was Taaszon. Ceyla and HK-107 instantly seized the controls, human intuition and robotic computing coming together to expertly follow the map from the wayfinder, weaving past tumbling chunks of rock and ice in the planetary rings. I didn't know if the world was chosen because of this hyperspace feature or if the Sith manipulated the hyperspace route to achieve this effect, but we emerged directly in the gravitational whirlwind of cosmic detritus, and only the wayfinder, combined with very capable pilots, could guide one out of this natural hellscape. I watched some of the rocks closely, finding that some of them were not rocks after all, rather, they were the wreckage of ships - ranging from fighters to freighters to capital ships - that did not manage this very particular journey. Just as I began to calm down, thinking I understood all of the risk here, I saw that there was more than just rock and ice in these rings - our next obstacle was a massive cloud of red gas, something which couldn't possibly be harmless and benign.

"There are gravitational anomalies in these rings. Rocks, balls of ice, and even small moons are all normally found in planetary rings, however, in parts of Taaszon's rings, miniature atmospheres can develop, spanning across multiple asteroids or moons, and these atmospheres, almost entirely, consist of raging, endless storms that can easily destroy a ship that doesn't know where it is going, but with the wayfinders, featuring constantly updated navigational data, we know exactly where to fly at any given moment. These bizarre, highly unusual rings protect Taaszon from outsiders, the perfect cover for a civilization rejected by the rest of the galaxy." Phanza explained and, before I could even fully dissect her statement, Ceyla and HK-107 dived into a cloud formation, leaving me to watch helplessly as gigantic bolts of white lightning tore through this foreign atmosphere all around us. These truly were strange clouds, Taaszon's atmosphere, filling the sky above us, didn't even have a red tint to it, meaning that these gases in this atmosphere were completely foreign. The bizarreness of this was only increased by how the rocks and ice in these clouds seemed completely covered in red dust from this unnatural, alien atmosphere. Lightning tore through the cloud, obstacles barely came into view through the thick gas and their matching color, and I lost sight of Taaszon itself in the thickest portions of the cloud, nevertheless, eventually, we emerged form this atmosphere and, soon after that, we exited the rings entirely, coming out to the safety of space.

Margraviate-class Dreadnoughts orbited around a space station within the rings of Taaszon, giving me yet another look at Taaszon's mighty military power. The Grand Duchy is incredibly militarized considering that it consists of a mere eleven, low populated systems at the very edge of the galaxy, but it simply isn't enough, it won't ever be enough against the Empire. Military spending was already massive under the Republic and now, there's no one to stop Palpatine from increasing it even further, his emergency powers are nothing compared to his now permanent Imperial powers. The Senate doesn't have the power, nor the will, to resist the Emperor, even if they don't know the horrifying truth about him, that he was a Sith Lord, so now, nothing is stopping Palpatine from just throwing Imperial resources at Taaszon until the Grand Duchy is conquered. There cannot be an open war against the Galactic Empire, the four known planets would be eviscerated and, soon rather than later, the Empire will find a wayfinder or just brute force their way through the rings, we _might_ have a technological edge, I really don't know, but we simply don't have the numbers to wage such a war. I don't want to let Palpatine rule the galaxy, but this isn't the way, we can't just let Sith wage war with Sith until one faction is eradicated, the Jedi need to come back, and, for better or worse, I'm the only one in a position to do so.

I don't know if I'm the last Jedi alive - I want to believe the likes of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master Yoda, and Master Windu survived, but Master Avdune didn't, I barely did and I saw the transmission with my own eyes, I knew what was happening - but I have to act like it is the case. That being said, what can I really do? I'm not a master, I was only a Padawan, I don't have a hall of holocrons, a library of Jedi knowledge, and a council of other masters at my disposal, all I really have is my own experience, my own struggles with the Jedi code, and a complicated relationship with a Sith Lord. The Force must have a twisted sense of a humor I suppose, the least qualified Jedi in the galaxy is the only one left to do something about it, to change things...I know I have to do it, but I don't think I can. Lady Attam wants to turn me into her apprentice and, on Taaszon, in the heart of this Sith state, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to resist. The Jedi have fallen, the Republic has fallen, and I'll be surrounded by Sith...I've already used Force Lightning, I've already fought and killed many of the clones who fought with me, who saw me as family, and I've even executed clones that weren't even combat units. I'm vulnerable to the Dark Side, and now...I'm descending into the heart of darkness.

My stomach lurched at this revelation as the _Ultimate_ approached the planet, coming in for a landing.

* * *

"Ceyla, HK, Ruumshi, Avoine, remain here. Zaliza and I will have an audience with Grand Duchess Voytana and then we'll all head back to Castle Attam." Phanza explained, I didn't say a word, merely meekly following her, too lost in my own horrific circumstances to respond. I wore my hood up and kept my eyes down as we entered the Citadel. The building itself was massive and we were high above the clouds, the surface of Taaszon far below, but none of that really mattered to me, all that I could concentrate on was my destroyed life and the spiral into darkness that the whole galaxy was on. The Jedi were born on Tython eons ago, born from ancient force users after centuries of war between Light Side users and Dark Side users, the latter of which were banished from the world. The Republic was just as old, it has been a stable, unifying force in the galaxy for tens of thousands of years, despite its very existence being threatened numerous times by the Sith and other existential threats. The Republic is so stable that the current constitution and form of government lasted for a thousand years before Palpatine rose up and shattered it all, finally achieving the dreams of the Sith, and dooming everyone in the process.

Purple and black armored soldiers of various species - humans, Chiss, and even aliens like Rattataki, Twi'Leks, Togruta, and other beings, all stood united, posed at attention for Phanza. I almost wanted to say these were honor guards, but I stood corrected when we entered the next chamber, the hallway to the throne room. This time, standing along the wall, just like the previous military guards, were red armored guards armed with lightsaber pikes, an incredibly formidable force. Ruumshi and Avoine served this purpose for Lady Attam, but the two of them, as impressive as they are, do not match up with this massive group of faceless warriors defending the throne room. Phanza stopped at the door and I finally, truly, looked up, watching as the opened, slowly and grandly, to reveal the massive throne room of Grand Duchess Voytana. Two massive purple banners of Taaszon graced the rear wall of the room, and, perfectly between them, sat a massive, elevated throne, and, in that throne, sat Voytana herself, Phanza's master. I didn't even need to reach out through the Force to feel her presence, her power felt heavy and radiant in this room, as if she could instantly crush me against the floor with little more than a passing thought. She was dressed in a black and purple robe, similar to the one Phanza usually wore, and she seemed to be young, despite her ancient power, but I couldn't tell much because I've never seen her species before. Voytana's skin was crimson red - nothing unusual, mine is a similar shade - but her features were harsh, with sharp, bony protrusions on her face, glowing red eyes, and rough, yet unblemished skin. Her hair was long, straight, and black, flowing down past her shoulders, making her a woman that was simultaneously beautiful and monstrous.

"Zaliza Vyvan of the Jedi Order, this is Grand Duchess Voytana of Taaszon, Dark Lord of the Sith, Mistress of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge, and the last of the Pureblooded Sith. She is our supreme leader, holding power over even me, I can offer you refuge here, but only if she allows it." Phanza explained, revealing that, even with Dooku's wayfinder, my safety here is not guaranteed, nothing on Taaszon is guaranteed without Voytana's approval. As I looked into her glowing red eyes and I felt her immense power ominously tightening around me, as if her attention always came with the distinct possibility of her murdering me, I had to wonder, is she truly any better than Emperor Palpatine? Perhaps coming here was a grave mistake, perhaps Phanza Attam is the only good Sith in an organization that is still just as evil and despotic here as it has been anywhere else, and perhaps not even that is true, Phanza could just be deceiving me as her attempt to convert me, but despite all this, it was too late, I had to make my case. I didn't think I could escape, not with Voytana as powerful as she is, and, even if I could, where could I go? How could I even get off of this planet, given that I didn't have a wayfinder. Voytana appears frightening and evil, but she is my only option right now.

"Grand Duchess Voytana, I am Zaliza Vyvan, Padawan of the Jedi Order and -" I wanted to properly introduce myself - despite the fact that Phanza did that already, after all, this is a monarchy, a Sith monarchy, but still, I'd imagine they have some sort of protocol here - and show respect, which I figured was my best chance of surviving this situation, but, evidently, I've done something wrong, because Voytana cut me off. I, of course, immediately piped down and let her speak, not wanting to anger this powerful Sith Pureblood, apparently the last of the ancient Sith. I thought that they were extinct, I thought that their name only lived on from the evil order that succeeded them, yet, here I was, confronted with one of them, and having no answer for her abilities.

"I know who you are Zaliza Vyvan, the problem is you do not." Voytana commanded, her natural voice seemed surprisingly beautiful and polite, however, as she spoke, she layered it in such a way that it came out as booming and daunting, just as constricting as her power flowing around me. I took a sharp inhale and dared not speak, fearing what an interruption would me, I would just wait for her to say what she was going to say. I did have my suspicions though, I suspected that this all had to do with the deception and the true nature that Phanza Attam hinted about. I dared glance at the Nautolan, but her expression surprised me. Lady Attam, the incredibly powerful Sith Lord who felt comfortable in a room full of Jedi and Senate Guards, was nervous, looking down at the floor with an almost apologetic expression on her face, as if she didn't want this to happen so soon and in this way. Whatever this was, Phanza knew, but she didn't want me to find out this way "The Jedi, including your master, have deceived you of what you truly are. They saw your smooth red skin and your purple eyes and they thought they could fool you, telling you that you were a Zeltron, and, in the meantime, they watched you, just waiting for you to slip up, to use the Dark Side of the Force, so that they could justify it to themselves to execute you. You did screw up, you used that power, but, fortunately for you, your master protected you, keeping your secret. Ullara Avdune is the only reason your precious little order of hypocritical monks and high-and-mighty mystics didn't kill you for your use of natural power on Dxun."

"What could the Jedi possibly execute me for?!" I blurted out, not believing in her, before realizing my mistake and cowering back, fearful that this deadly woman would punish me for my actions, for standing up for what I believed in. I braced myself, waiting to be launched across the room or electrocuted, but it never came, instead, Voytana laughed. Not even a villainous cackle or the insane laughter of a madwoman, simply a genuine, amused laugh. This caught me off guard, seeming more like something Phanza would do than her all-powerful, Dark Lord of the Sith master.

"You have nothing to fear Zaliza Vyvan, you are accepted here as a guest of honor of Lady Attam." Voytana said, her voice no longer layered and, believe it or not, somewhat reassuring. I was confused, but Voytana continued on, finally explaining this mystery to me "The Jedi would execute you the same reason they executed by ancestors on Korriban, bombarding the world after the Great Hyperspace War, the same reason they forced the last of the Purebloods to retreat from Dromund Kaas and flee here to Taaszon upon the fall of the last Sith Empire, and the same reason others still fled into the Unknown Regions to create Palpatine's faction. You are not a Zeltron, Zaliza Vyvan, you are a half-blooded Sith. Your father, before his death, ventured out into the galaxy, searching for survivors of our species, finding none, instead, all he found was a human woman. He fell in love with her and sired you before the Jedi found him. The Jedi took you in and hid the truth from you, unwilling to kill a child but fearing the return of the Sith. Now, you and I are the last remnants of Sith blood in this galaxy."

I wanted to deny this, I really did, but I couldn't. I remembered back to the conversation I had with Ullara Avdune about not developing Zeltron pheromones despite obviously being sexually mature, I remembered back to how much she feared me using the Dark Side, and I remembered how, even before all this, she stressed that accomplishing the mission at Taaszon would be a major test for me. Perhaps, if things had gone differently, if the last stages of the war didn't advance so quickly, the Jedi Council might have told me the truth after Taaszon. They saw that I was able to interact with the Sith without immediately falling to the Dark Side, and they thought that I overcame the biggest obstacle I had to becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight. This could have gone so differently, instead, here I am, at the edge of the galaxy with all of the Jedi dead and learning all of this from the Dark Lord of the Sith...one of them anyway. I didn't know how to respond to all this, I didn't know what I could say or to who, so instead, I froze up, looked down at the floor, and felt the tears begin to fall down my face. I simply stood there, in the throne room of a Sith Lord, alone and crying until someone came over and gave me a hug and, to my shock, it was Phanza Attam.

"I know you have a lot to think about and I can only imagine the thoughts and contradictions going through your head right now. Do you want to head to Castle Attam and rest?" Phanza asked, the Nautolan speaking softly and comforting me, something I would've never expected from a Sith Lord, especially not one of this much power and this much significance, even if that all paled in comparison to Voytana. I looked up at the Grand Duchess and, to my surprise, there was a certain pity on her face, despite how powerful and detached she should have been. Voytana dismissed us and I let Phanza usher me out of the throne room, appreciating the comfort and support of another person after everything I've experienced lately, even if I knew that person was a Sith.

* * *

"These shall be your quarters," Phanza opened the double doors, revealing a large and lavish room, decorated in the blacks, purples, and reds that seem to be typical of Taaszon. The room was entirely too large, featuring a lavish bed, a view of the capital city below, a conjoined master bathroom, a kitchenette in one corner, a little living room in the other, and even a fully stocked closet. This was absolutely not the kind of room a Jedi should stay in, our only possessions were meant to be our robes, lightsaber, and a cot, not all of this. My master and all of the other Jedi didn't just die so I could immediately forsake their ideals just for a comfortable bed.

"I can't stay here Phanza, I'm sorry. All this luxury and excess isn't the Jedi way." I argued, hoping that I could get something more like what I had on Coruscant or onboard the _Sage_. I cringed as those two places crossed my mind, being reminded of what they have come. Coruscant, once the center of the free galaxy, is now Palpatine's home, the place from which that despot could rule over the whole rest of the Republic turned Empire. The _Sage_, meanwhile, is now an instrument of Palpatine's control, a ship that, instead of saving worlds, will now conquer them, spreading the Empire's might far and wide. Perhaps I should go for something slightly different, something that won't remind me so much of the twisted wreck of my life, but something that is still modest enough to conform to the Jedi way.

"Zaliza...this is a castle, every room is like this." Phanza informed me, letting me know something I should've suspected long ago. Places like this didn't even need servants quarters anymore thanks to droids and automation, and I couldn't just sleep in a closet full of droids. As much as the Jedi are concerned with being poor monks, they understand that people have certain needs, including a surface to sleep on and a bathroom, neither of which droids have. I suppose I could sleep on a cot in this room, after all, the lavish surrounding aren't all that different from the grand nature of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, another place clouded in death and failure for me, a place that Palpatine used as his trap for any Jedi who survived Order 66.

"Can you at least replace this furniture with things a little less wealthy and grand?" I asked, trying to capture as much of the Jedi lifestyle as I could on this distant and Sith controlled world far away from the world I knew and the Jedi I was once a part of. They lied to me, they really did, and now, I'm finding out that I'm a Sith, a half-blooded Sith, but a Sith nonetheless, but I'm not going to forsake them for that. The Jedi were flawed, fundamentally flawed, I saw that even before Order 66, but they didn't deserve that, they didn't deserve to be so completely and utterly destroyed.

"Zaliza, I know this is new, but the Jedi idea is to not impose and to live simply. By asking me to have this room rearranged for you, you are imposing and you are violating the Jedi principles in practice, if not appearance. Please, just accept these conditions and rest, you need it after everything that's happened to you lately. After tonight, if you really aren't comfortable here, I will try and find a more agreeable place for you." Phanza promised, the Nautolan speaking softly, her politeness clashing with her appearance - I didn't expect the red skinned woman with sharp black tattoos and a red and black lightsaber to be this hospitable and understanding. I didn't necessarily agree with her on how accepting this was more modest than having the room rearranged, but I would follow her advice and try it for tonight before making a final decision. My master died and I just found out I'm a half-blooded Sith, if there was ever a time where it was justified to bend the Jedi lifestyle, it was now. That being said, if I managed to actually rebuild the Jedi despite all my flaws and shortcomings, I don't want to set any unfortunate precedents.

* * *

I was clearly not used to life at Castle Attam. The bed was entirely too comfortable, the sheets were so warm and soft I had to take off my robes to sleep, then, I slept peacefully, too peacefully. I felt guilty for sleeping that well so soon after Ullara died, I felt like I should have cried, twisted, and turned all night, but I didn't, I simply sunk into the mattress, snuggled into the sheets, and slept all night long like an ungrateful, detached monster rather than the obedient and mourning Padawan I wanted to be right now. My next out-of-place experience came when I realized the servant droids must have silently taken away my robes to be washed, leaving me without my own clothes for today. Obviously I washed my robes, I did so daily if possible, but I didn't have it done for me before, that was new and that was jarring. I found myself walking over to the closet and finding it stocked with various sets of robes, robes clearly meant for me, yet styled like the Sith of Taaszon. I cringed, many would leave my sleeves and midriff bare - now, the Jedi didn't have a dress code, Master Secura made sure of that, but I usually wore my reddish-brown robes which more than covered me up - however, I eventually found an acceptable robe. A full body robe similar to Phanza and Voytana's usual outfits, in Taaszon's usual black and purple, and I took that into the bathroom to get washed up and dressed.

A trip in the refresher later and I realized that the servant droids, little circular units gliding across the palace floors silently, had taken my underwear to wash that too, leaving me with nothing to wear beneath my robes. I was alone, but in a foreign place, aware of the fact that there was probably a camera - or several - watching me, I wandered back into the room and found a bra and a pair of underwear in the drawer. There were two things that shocked me here: first of all, the fact that everything here was exactly to my measurements, and second of all, the fact that some of the items Phanza left for me were made of..._lace_. I understood that Phanza and the Sith have different morals than the Jedi, but this really was completely and utterly obscene. These robes and underwear clearly and perfectly fit me, so what could Phanza have possibly been thinking when she stocked my room with...lingerie of all things. I was a Jedi, I shouldn't have many possessions, least of all something so blatantly sexual and enticing for a member of an order that banned attachments.

I got dressed in the robe, and the matching boots and belt. There was also a set of gloves that came with these robes but I decided not to wear them. I noticed a few things about these robes, when compared to Jedi robes: first of all, while my Jedi robes were not constricting, not in a time of so much war, these felt infinitely lighter. The robes clung close to my body, tightly accentuating my figure, but, despite that, they felt like they weren't even there, and, on top of that, the material was clearly rarer, more expensive, and more luxurious than anything that I would ever find at the Jedi Temple. I have only just gotten to Castle Attam and I already feel completely out of place, living out of a space too big for me, sleeping in a bed too soft for me, and dressed in clothes too nice for me. This was too much, too luxurious, this wasn't what I wanted and, as a Jedi, I shouldn't have this. Perhaps it is imposing to ask to live a simple and humble life within a lavish palace, but the Jedi clearly were not intended to live like this, this is completely ridiculous. Just to accentuate how unprepared I was for this life, as I turned around to leave the room, I nearly tripped over one of the servant droids as it's little flat disk frame slid past me, a silent and obedient puck keeping Phanza's castle pristine while she was away. Presumably, there were other types of droids as well, but these small and relatively unintrusive ones were clearly the most numerous.

* * *

I found Phanza sat down on her outdoor meditation pad, the capital city and the citadel out in the valley below, the mountains all around the castle, and a light snow was falling up here, but not quite enough to actually settle on the ground. I quietly walked over to her, stepping out of the warmth of Castle Attam for the cooler mountain air of this outlook. I didn't want to disturb the Sith Lord who turned out to be my one and only friend now that the Jedi were gone, but I had no one else to talk to, I didn't know anyone else here. Between the clones betrayal and the trap on Coruscant, I didn't think that very many Jedi at all survived. I could only hope that Master Towaan and my friend Thonna Ai'sunn died quickly, they didn't deserve to suffer. Taaszon was turning out to be a complicated place, everything appeared to be the Sith - the dark aesthetics, liberal use of Dark Side powers, and a towering obelisk of autocracy reaching far into the clouds - yet, despite that, I couldn't see the evils we associated with the Sith. This palace was worked by droids rather than slaves, the people, both here and on the outlying systems, seemed happy to be under Voytana's rule, and then there was the issue of Phanza. Her appearance showed absolutely no scars or deterioration from the Dark Side despite the fact she was clearly powerful, she was nice and caring to me, despite the fact that she clearly wielded all the power in this relationship, and, while I wasn't necessarily comfortable with it, she clearly put care into my room and clothing here. I didn't know what to think of the Nautolan woman.

I looked over at her again and noticed that she wasn't simply meditating, she had Count Dooku's wayfinder in her hands and she was tapping into it through the Force. This was important, perhaps we would finally be able to track down where Palpatine's Sith came from and...well, what could we really do? I'm not sure if it really mattered that we found this wayfinder, after all, Palpatine is openly reigning on Coruscant now, even if we did find out where the Sith was from, there wasn't much that we could do with that information. We could destroy Palpatine's ancient base of power, sure, but what would that really accomplish when he still has the rest of the galaxy? My confidence in my own ticket to Taaszon was fading rapidly, even as Phanza Attam was opening it, but I did realize something now. Phanza was the wayfinder and, unless she told Voytana at some different time, her master doesn't know about the device.

"And...there," Phanza suddenly spoke before rising, the wayfinder glowing an ominous green in her hand as she turned to me, an interesting expression on her red-skinned face "It seems the late Count Dooku was craftier than he appeared, more aware that his master would betray him than either of us had expected. This doesn't lead to the home of the pretenders, rather, this wayfinder leads to the ancient capital of the Sith. You've brought us a beacon to the lost world of Dromund Kaas, a beacon which Palpatine doesn't even know about."

"How does that help us?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my gut. Palpatine fooled the entire Republic and executed the Jedi with the clones, he controlled both the Republic and the separatists in a war which drained the galaxy enough to make him the one and only ruler of it, and now, all we had to use against him was a map to one, long abandoned planet? Palpatine knew about Taaszon's outlying systems, was this really the time for cultural and historical exploration? I had to imagine that Taaszon had much more pressing matters to attend to, considering the galactic circumstances.

"It helps us attain our knowledge, our history, our birthright. Imagine, for a moment, that the Jedi lost the coordinates of Tython or even Dantooine, and now, imagine that you suddenly found a map back to your historic capital. Strategically, you're right, this is insignificant, but I thought you of all people would understand that there is more to all this than just fighting Palpatine." Phanza explained, making herself, a Sith, appear more reasonable, respectful, and less bellicose than myself, a Jedi. I felt isolated by this tactic, because this reminded me that, despite how nice she was, despite how supportive she was, Phanza still wanted to turn me over to the Dark Side, and everything she did served that agenda. I had to view all of her actions through the lens that she was trying to make the Jedi look as flawed and hypocritical as possible while presenting the Sith sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, I understand that this is important to you and your people." despite all that, despite the fact that I knew this all probably a subtle manipulation, I found myself feeling guilty and I found myself apologizing to a Sith Lord. I knew that Lady Attam was dangerous and powerful, I knew that I should have seen her as an enemy, and I knew that she is probably not as much of a good person as she appears to be, but I couldn't help but see her as a beautiful, intelligent Nautolan woman not much older than I was "I just...I'm hurting, Phanza. Master Avdune sacrificed herself to save me and all I have to remember her by is that final kiss she gave me. I didn't even have the chance to recover her lightsaber. Now she's gone and I feel alone and confused and...I don't know what to do. I want to rebuild the Jedi but I have no idea how to do that, I want to avenge Master Avdune, but I know that Ullara wouldn't want me to seek revenge, and I want to find a new home here, but I'm not sure if I can trust you or anyone else here. I'm scared and alone and I just feel helpless."

I sunk to the ground and buried my head in my eyes, crying on the black and purple fabric of my robes. Jedi weren't supposed to be emotional, I knew that, but I couldn't help but cry, I couldn't help but release every awful emotion that's been consuming me as of late, and, again, to my surprise, Phanza was there for me. The Nautolan joined me on the ground, discarding the all important wayfinder for the time being, and wrapped her arms around me, comforting me. I never understood how I found myself depending on a Sith for emotional support, yet here I was, and, to her credit, Phanza was surprisingly good at it. There is an argument that all of this could be a ruse to get me to trust her, but I thought that was too much, just grasping for straws. If Phanza was truly as evil as I feared, why would she want to comfort me? Comforting me does nothing to turn me, apparently the last of the Sith bloodline, to the Dark Side, if anything, it lessens the pain and suffering that is supposed to lead me down that path, so, instead of converting me to the Sith, I was now left confused. I knew that Phanza's actions meant something, she must have had some sort of goal in all of this, but I didn't know what.

"I know things are hard now, I understand that better than anyone. Voytana and I made a very bad decision asking the Republic for help - we had the technology to fight off the separatists this time, but we were not prepared for a sustained conflict, we thought that the Republic would help us push them back and we would be safe enough to return to the shadows - now, Palpatine knows about our outlying systems. I don't know how to approach this, I know we need to fight the Empire and cripple their ability to invade us, but we also don't want to provoke them. We need to find allies, but who would ally with us while Palpatine is putting the galaxy under his thumb? The information that he's a Sith won't help us considering we are as well. I don't even know if anyone is still strong enough to ally with us after everything which has happened. The Pikes and the other Syndicates are crippled after Mandalore. The Hutts were involved in that fight too and, while they're mostly fine, I don't trust those filthy slugs as far as I could throw one of them. I was just following my master's instructions, and I may have doomed Taaszon, revealing us at precisely the wrong time to the wrong people." Phanza lamented, sharing her own concerns, worries, and insecurities. I couldn't believe it, she was opening up to me, she was being vulnerable in front of a Jedi. I was frightened of Voytana, but I couldn't see Phanza as my enemy, not now and not ever.

"Can you just tell me one thing?" I asked Phanza, wanting to know something from Lady Attam before I let myself fully trust her, the woman was the only one who I knew that was left and I wanted to trust her, but I needed this one thing before I could. The Nautolan nodded, even in her alien expression, I could tell that her expression was soft and honest "Is this all just an attempt to turn me into a Sith apprentice? Or do you actually care about me?"

"Well," Phanza began with a sigh, immediately understanding the weight of this conversation "I truly believe that the Jedi were a flawed organization. They were hypocritical, insular, and too absorbed in their own hubris. I know that the Jedi didn't realize what Palpatine was, neither did I at first, but they let him take more and more power from the Senate, blinding standing by as their beloved state fell into despotism and autocracy. The Jedi, even in times of war, limited themselves to only the Light Side of the Force. The Dark Side can consume you if you are not careful, the Dark Side can be dangerous, but it is an objectively better way to use the Force in times of war and conflict. I mean no offense, but, the Jedi were dying long before Palpatine pulled the trigger on their whole order. You are a half-blooded Sith and I think that your place is here, as a Sith, using the full spectrum of the Force, letting your natural and human emotions flow freely, and forming whatever attachments your little heart desires, but I do not want to force you to do anything against your will. My ideal situation would be to convince you that the Sith, our version of the Sith at least, is a superior philosophy than the Jedi, and that you'll turn on your own, however, if you decide to remain a Jedi, I can accept that too. I fully believe that a Jedi Order reformed under you, someone young enough and smart enough to see their flaws and shortcomings, would be an improvement."

I contemplated what Lady Attam told me, her honest and scathing critique of the Jedi, noting many of the same mistakes as I did, however, what Phanza had to say about me...I actually wasn't upset with that. Phanza Attam isn't going to force me to do anything and she doesn't expect me to do anything, she is letting me have agency and, at least now, I know for certain what she is doing. Phanza is less of a manipulator and more of a missionary, a Sith missionary, as silly of an idea as that is, but that's the best example I can think of, the most accurate description of her behavior. I also found her version of Sith philosophy much more understandable than the typical kind, after all, her philosophy seems to be more about freedom and knowledge, Phanza Attam saw nothing as forbidden, she could do whatever she wanted to, whether they be Dark Side powers or Light Side powers, not only that, but Phanza implied that, despite that, she hasn't completely fallen to the Dark Side. I didn't know that such a thing was possible, but looking at her beautiful skin and elegant form, I couldn't see the damage of the Dark Side on her body.

"Thank you," I replied, Phanza's speech leaving me with a lot to think about. I still wasn't entirely sure about her and the Sith of Taaszon, but, despite all that, I found it fascinating and interesting. If nothing else, I would like to read through Phanza's libraries, learning more about how she thinks, what has influenced her, and how the rest of these Grand Ducal Sith view their code and their philosophy.

* * *

Alright everyone, this has been chapter eleven of Secrets of The Outer Rim, we're back! Also yes, Phanza's castle is maintained by Sith space roombas. Updates will be biweekly on sundays, alternating with my story Duchesse d'Anjou, which is posted on fictionpress and AO3. Speaking of, I'm also gonna post this story on AO3.


	12. Philosophies of The Sith Order

Hello everyone, we're back for our second regularly scheduled post-hiatus update! This chapter focuses mainly on Zaliza and Phanza Attam on Taaszon and their developing dynamic. Side note: I considered naming this chapter "The Half-Blood Princess" but I felt that was a little too on the nose, maybe in the future though...we'll see just how cringeworthy I'm willing to be.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XII.

Philosophies of The Sith Order.

* * *

I found myself in a limbo of sorts over the next few days, finding myself in a foreign place without much to do. In the Clone Wars, even on leave, Master Avdune and I spent very little time resting on Coruscant - of course, it doesn't help that, by my decision, our last period of rest was interrupted by our mission to help Phanza - always either on a battlefield or on the way to one. It didn't feel right to have nothing to do nowadays, it gave me too much time to spend inside my own head. If it weren't for Palpatine and his Order 66, Master Avdune would still be alive, Commander Warlock and the rest of W Squad would still be our friends, and, yes, there would an awful and pointless war, but at least it wouldn't be this. This horrible tension as I feel like the Empire will eventually close in on me, like I am living on borrowed time, like the universe itself wanted me to die alongside Master Avdune and the other Jedi during Order 66. The only person I knew who was still alive was a Sith Lord herself and now I'm just sitting around at the edge of the galaxy, alive with no purpose, active with no mission, and a Jedi with an Order.

I had vowed to fix the last one, to rebuild the Jedi while here on Taaszon, but, of course, I had no idea how to actually do that. I was a Padawan, not even a Jedi Knight - though, based on some things that Master Avdune said and the lens of me being a half-blooded Sith, perhaps the business with Taaszon could have served as my Knight Trials, to see if I'm worthy of overcoming my own darkness, but after that, things moved far too quickly for anything to materialize. Perhaps that is why Ullara was so concerned when I used Force Lightning on Dxun, I had come so close and then acted in a way that jeopardized everything, it seemed like I had risen above my nature, but then, I acted in such a way that made it seem like I was falling right back into the typical mold of a Sith. I was a Sith, I was associated with Sith, and I was on a Sith world, how could I possibly rebuild the Jedi Order in a place like this? Phanza said she would allow me to do this if I wanted to, but what would that really look like? Was Phanza going to allow me to train Force sensitive younglings? I doubted it, especially as I suspected these Sith, with their limited population, needed whatever manpower they could get in the coming struggle against Palpatine and his newly formed Galactic Empire.

The Jedi Order was gone then? No, it couldn't go out with that, regardless of how unworthy I am. I may be a mere Padawan, but I'm still a Jedi, the last one perhaps, I couldn't just let the galaxy be absorbed in a war between two factions of Sith. The problem is, however, that saying I'm determined to do this is much easier than actually doing it, after all, I don't even know where to begin going about remaking the Jedi. Should I start with a new Jedi Temple? That sounded like a good move, but how exactly would that look? A temple comparable to the one on Coruscant honestly seemed ostentatious, especially if we're supposed to be hidden from Palpatine. We didn't necessarily have to be hidden from Grand Duchess Voytana, but I would prefer to be, after all, while I think I trust Phanza, I'm not as sure about Voytana and the others, so that eliminated these systems, therefore...I had no idea where this hidden, modest Jedi Temple could even be. Taaszon seemed like a no, at least in the long term then, but, perhaps, the people of this world could provide an answer - these people were loyal to the Sith, sure, but I could ask them what they thought of the Jedi, what a reformed Jedi Order could look like - after all, as harsh as her criticism was, Phanza Attam did raise valid points about the state of the Jedi prior to Order 66. Perhaps, using these testimonies from a bizarre source, I could make a Jedi Order that was better, stronger, and less hypocritical.

I walked out of Castle Attam, emerging out in one of the outdoor overlooks. I found Phanza Attam standing in the middle of the overlook, curved hilt black and red lightsaber held high over her head in a Makashi stance as Ruumshi and Avoine circled her, armed with their electrostaffs, ready to spar with their mistress. Avoine, the human, attacked first, running at Lady Attam with her electrostaff, swinging high, Phanza lowered herself to catch the staff as it swung down on her, but she new what was going on, quickly spinning out of the way as Ruumshi snuck up next, slamming down the rear end of the electrostaff right where Phanza was. Lady Attam strained up out of her spin and went on the offensive, hitting her two bodyguards with rapid, light strikes to keep them off balance, but there is a very good reason why Phanza spars with these two, her bodyguards were very capable of keeping her on her toes. Ironically enough, the next move that Ruumshi made was a sweep for Phanza's legs, but Lady Attam jumped over it, however, even in the air, her mission was far from easy, having to use her lightsaber mid air to knock away a thrust from Avoine.

Phanza Attam landed softly and almost floated over to the two again - not actually floating, Phanza didn't seem to be using the Force here, that was very likely the point, allowing the Sorceress to practice her skills with the lightsaber - her black cored lightsaber striking Ruumshi as, with her other hand, she caught Avoine's wrist and pulled. Phanza tripped Avoine over and brought the human bodyguard down to her knees, seemingly about to force her out of the fight, but, despite the human kneeled over like she was about to be executed, she headbutted Phanza in the stomach and twisted back up, attacking back with her electrostaff. Avoine struck directly at Phanza while, behind her, Ruumshi swung for Phanza's head. The Nautolan smirked and dropped to the ground, letting them strike each other's electrostaff, leading Phanza to believe that her bodyguards shorted out their weapons, however, this was a coordinated attack. The electrostaffs, rather than shorting out, locked Phanza in an electrified circle, seemingly leaving the Sith Lord trapped and unable to escape.

Phanza rose her lightsaber directly up before letting go, levitating the blade with the Force while it collided with the two electrostaffs, freeing Phanza out of the prison of lightning, but she wasn't done yet. Phanza, so aware of her surroundings through the Force, attacked Ruumshi with her floating lightsaber while she attacked Avoine with her bare hands. Phanza used her left hand to keep Avoine's electrostaff away while hitting her with quick jabs from her right hand, but Avoine, not to be deterred, stopped Phanza by grabbing one of her tattooed head-tails, yanking it, painfully. I felt it was interesting to see that Phanza let her bodyguards actually physically hurt her - this sparring was meant to be serious, intense, practical combat training - all designed to keep Lady Attam as sharp and deadly as possible, even if, for whatever reason, even refraining from using the Force unless it was absolutely necessary. Credit to Ruumshi and Avoine, they've already forced Phanza to use the Force to escape the trap and Avoine even managed to repel a hand-to-hand assault, however, the Sith Lord was clearly going to win here. Phanza spun around and kicked Avoine in the stomach, despite her robes. At the same time, almost as if coordinated, Phanza deactivated her lightsaber and floated the hilt behind Ruumshi's electrostaff, reactivating right before her neck and forcing her to yield, while, Avoine, who fell over from the kick, fell to the ground. Phanza stepped down on the electrostaff, leaving Avoine holding the staff just above her neck on the ground, forcing the human bodyguard to yield at the same time as her orange-skinned Zabrak counterpart. The sparring match over, Phanza called her lightsaber back while helping Avoine back up. The bodyguards bowed before their Sith Lord before leaving the platform, Ruumshi offering me a friendly glance before she left.

Phanza, having won the sparring match, straightened herself out, the woman stretching in her robes - she was once again dressed in the midriff baring and sleeveless purple robe, showing off her red skin nicely, her hood was done and she gathered her head tails over her shoulders, as per usual - they were rather displaced by the fight, given Avoine literally yanked one - and the Nautolan appeared completely unbothered by the cool mountain air. Phanza loaded my closest with similar sets of robes, but I hadn't worn such robes yet - I was currently dressed in black robes with a couple of red pinstripes for trim - nor did I think I could wear them soon, they required a confidence and a sinfulness I simply didn't have. Though I had to admit that Phanza looked elegant like that, toned skin stretching in the rising sun, rays of light half-blocked by the towering Citadel at the center of Taaszon's capital city. The Nautolan turned around, her large, black eyes, framed by the tattoos coming up her head-tails to her forehead, finding me, the Sith Lord shooting me a gentle smile. I walked over to the Sith Lord, suddenly becoming conscious of the fact that I was outdoors with my double-bladed lightsaber clipped to my belt - even if other Jedi were alive, I had to be the only Jedi in such a state, any other survivors keeping a low profile and hiding the fact that they were Jedi - an odd privilege of my exile amongst the Sith.

"Hello Zaliza, what are you up to?" the Sith Lord asked, Phanza instantly sinking into pleasantness despite having just been in a very real practice fight. I thought that was weird, I was always taught that the Dark Side was seductive, addictive, and consuming, that to tap into it leads down a path of certain destruction, yet here, the Sith Lord, fresh from a fairly significant duel, was nice, calm, and levelheaded. Lady Attam was continuing to confound me and, despite her promises to the contrary, I had to imagine that was intentional in an attempt to bring me over to the Dark Side. Phanza wanted to break down my preconceived notions of the Sith, the Sith Order, and Sith philosophy, thus, making me doubt my Jedi teachings. It was a good plan, after all, Phanza was an intelligent woman, but, I doubt her plans can be very effective considering I see through her schemes...or, at least, that should make her plans more effective. The truth is, despite the fact that I'm well aware of what Phanza is trying to do, her efforts seem to be working and I am not only questioning my own beliefs from the Jedi Order, but I'm curious about learning more about her beliefs. Now, naturally, just reading Sith Philosophy will not make me agree with it, but, there is a chance I will find something I agree with. Nevertheless, perhaps Sith beliefs can fill me in on how to improve the Jedi, again, through unlikely influences, I can create an order of Jedi that avoids both the flaws of the old Jedi Order and the flaws of all these various factions of the Sith.

"I want to go down into the city, alone. I can't handle being stuck in the castle anymore, I need to get out, I need to move around, and I need to breath." I stressed, needing to decompress and wanting to free myself of any lingering, illogical worries that me being stuck in this palace is just a covert form of imprisonment. Strictly speaking, I didn't need to go out alone, in fact, in some ways, going out with a guide might be smarter, but I wanted to be free, alone, to be able to go wherever I want, speak to whoever I want, and take as long as I want, free of anyone else's scheduling or oversight. The fact that this way would add some more secrecy to my new Jedi Order was just a bonus, but the fact is, I truly did want to experience some freedom and some privacy. I didn't expect to actually keep the Jedi Order secret from Phanza, after all, we have that strange Force Bond somehow, but, as I explained, I wasn't as certain about Grand Duchess Voytana and the other Sith, I wasn't sure if I could trust them in the same way that I trust Phanza. Even then, a part of my brain, likely the same part that is trying me to rebuild the Jedi, doesn't want to trust Phanza, fearing her just because she is a Sith and because of some of the things she's told me. The woman literally wanted me to strike down Chancellor Palpatine at one point and, while in retrospect, perhaps that would be the right thing to do for the greater good, but neither of us knew that at the time, Phanza probably had strong suspicions at this stage, but enough to justify a murder? I doubted that.

"Alone?" Phanza asked, well aware of the fact that I didn't know Taaszon well and that it was a strange request, nevertheless, the Sith Lord did seem to understand my emotional state, or at least tolerated it, because she didn't stop me. In fact, Lady Attam not only tolerated this, but she gave me some important advice and some privileges that will make my task much easier "Very well, you know how to contact me if you get lost. Between those robes and your lightsaber, nobody will dare bother you unless you initiate contact. Pacification droids and Chiss officers are common throughout the city, they keep the peace, so you'll be more than safe. There are no restrictions for Sith in the capital city and, while you are a Jedi, these same privileges will apply to you."

"Thank you, Phanza," I thanked her and headed off to the city below. I wasn't sure what to expect, on one hand, Taaszon's capital city appeared to be a small but clean, modern, and safe cosmopolitan city, however, based on what Phanza had said, this city seemed much darker than I had expected. The safety came due to pacification droids, vicious policing, a liberal number of Sith in the city at any given time, and other such instruments of autocracy. The autocracy and inequality of such a place was so great that there were restrictions on who could travel where and why, with only the Sith being above such restrictions, and myself, still a Jedi, but one who Phanza wishes to turn over to the Dark Side, by convincing me, she said. How could she possibly convince me that this Sith faction isn't all that evil when her own capital city is filled with evidence of tyranny and oppression? Phanza seemed too smart to allow her plan to fail so easily, so quickly, yet here she was, letting me go to the city and see whatever I wish, without restrictions of chaperones, she couldn't keep me on rails and ensure I only see a good version of Taaszon, so why was she allowing this? Did she think that her individual benevolence would be enough to make me overlook the crimes of her faction? I was sure what Phanza was playing at and I was even less sure if such a place, a city of tyranny, could actually provide anything for my future Jedi Order after all. I wanted to find the good in Taaszon and at least consider it for the Jedi, but what if there really wasn't any good out there to find? Either way, I was about to find out.

* * *

A speeder taxi took me down from Castle Attam to Phanza's private landing pad in the capital city - the other routes were to the Citadel and the other evidently led to some fortress in a different valley - exiting the purple and black taxi and heading out into the city itself, finding myself in a fair amount of activity. Obviously the population of Taaszon is in no way comparable to Coruscant or even Nar Shaddaa, but compared to other planets I've been to in these last phases of the Clone Wars, such as Felucia, Dxun, and Ypherro, this capital city seemed like a hot bed of activity. I would've imagined a Sith planet would be dominated by humans, after all, the Jedi taught me that the Sith have been, historically, incredibly xenophobic, but that didn't seem to be the case here. From just a visual assessment of the people walking through this part of the city, Chiss actually seemed to be the plurality - the blue skinned, red-eyed aliens were, based on my limited reading thus far, native to this part of the galaxy, the rest of Taaszon's people came later in an exodus from the former Sith Empire - this distant area of the galaxy was, and, to the Empire, still is, uncharted space, an ideal location for these stragglers of the ancient Sith to settle.

Speaking of the ancient Sith, those who settled here seem to be disproportionately alien. Yes, humans are the second most common species are the Chiss, but there are also many Zabraks, Rattataki, Twi'Leks, Togruta, Mirialans, and other aliens as well, a remarkable diversity. In fact, I had a hard time finding prejudice in general on Taaszon, I could see men holding hands with other men, women holding hands with other women, nor did there seem to be slavery, despite that being a typical practice of the Sith - perhaps this isn't entirely benevolent, after all, it is a possibility that their ancestors decided that slaves weren't worth transporting to the new systems and switched to automation so they wouldn't have to feed a labor force - there was classism, but beyond that, the capital city of Taaszon didn't seem like that bad of a place to live, at least not as bad as I had feared. Crime was punished severely by the massive pacification droids and the cold, stoic, and vigilant Chiss police, and they would likely crush any sign of protest or dissent with brutal efficiency, but that was to be expected with the Sith. I don't believe Grand Duchess Voytana's behavior is good or that I would do the same in Taaszon, but the place didn't seem like the autocratic, soul crushing hellhole I imagined when I first heard of the pacification droid...this all seemed very contradictory and strange, but, despite that, I felt boosted, I felt like these people could give the Jedi of the future some vital insights and wisdom, insights and wisdom I would be trying to learn.

In an attempt to acquire knowledge and to make sense of the conundrum that is Taaszon, I was first drawn to the tacky, colorful lights of the local cantina. The Jedi did not have a prohibition on alcohol, however, it was frowned upon, nevertheless, even as far back as the times of Revan and the Exile, the Jedi recognized the value of cantinas. The inebriated and relaxed patrons of such venues could be an excellent fountain of information, as well as the bartenders who remained sober and aware as all the patrons around them aired their dirty laundry and told their tales to their drinking buddies. Such an establishment was distasteful, however, I would be able to ask a wide variety of clientele about their views on the Jedi. There were restrictions in the city, such as that the lower classes could no enter rich neighborhoods and that droids weren't allowed in the Chiss districts, but this area of the city was open to everyone. The rich no doubt had their own, segregated cantina, but that didn't stop some of them - likely the younger and more eccentric types - from traveling down here. Thus, ready to speak with the widest variety of people easily accessible to me, I entered the cantina, expecting the reek of booze, death sticks, and...bodily fluids typical of a Clone Wars era Outer Rim bar.

The place was, surprisingly, actually clean and well kept, if tacky, the dim decor lit by liberal use of purple neon lights to produce an effect which seemed like it belonged at a nightclub, but this place was more of a lounge and a bar - then again, there were two back rooms, one of which looked to be a casino room and the other seemed to be more of a sports bar, so perhaps this cantina was meant to be many things at once - and, to their credit, their diverse purposes produced an equally diverse crowd, containing some surprising dynamics. One both contained what appeared to be an eccentric human male Sith telling a raunchy story to a crowd made up of a pair of soldiers, a smuggler, a blind Togruta gambler, and a Twi'Lek dancer on the Sith's arm...truly an odd crowd. I decided to stick to the bar itself for now, seeing a number of active bartenders and deciding to approach the small Chiss woman cleaning a glass in a quiet corner of the bar, that seemed like the ideal place for me to ask my questions, being given a certain discretion and not bothering anyone else. I wondered what approach would get me the most information though - I had a lightsaber, so I was obviously a Force user - but, should I be honest and be myself, a Jedi searching for information, or should I pose as a Zeltron Sith to get more honest information? On the other hand, perhaps posing as a Sith would make the bartender believe that this was a test of some kind, the Sith trying to find out who was loyal or not, so I decided to just be myself, not wanting to scare anyone by coming across as an inquisitive and mysterious Sith asking dangerous questions, that could be incredibly frightening, even to the people who lived under the Sith, perhaps especially to them.

"All those Jedi dead, can you believe it?" the Chiss woman muttered as I sat down, her pupilless red eyes clearly looking at a news report on a screen behind me, despite the lack of clear irises. I wondered how the barkeep knew I was willing to talk about such a thing, after all, not everyone wants to come to a bar to discuss foreign events, but perhaps there truly is something to bartenders have intuition, nevertheless, I was glad that she started the conversation before I even had to steer it my way. At least, I was glad, then, once again, the realization hit me that all those Jedi were dead, the gravity of the bartender's question reminding me of Order 66 and the horrible betrayal that rocked the galaxy. This event was so traumatic and major that it's already common knowledge on Taaszon, a system foreign to the Republic - now, I know they know all about the Republic thanks to their history and long term isolation, but still, news travels fast, tragically fast, fast enough to constantly reopen wounds before they can heal. At least this conversation would, in theory, contribute to undoing the damage that Palpatine did to the Jedi and to the galaxy, rebuilding the Order and letting it be a cornerstone of the Republic one again.

"No, no I cannot. All those Jedi betrayed and wiped out so quickly? It doesn't feel real. Now, with the Jedi gone, the Force itself feels hollow, countless Jedi have been eliminated and it has left an incredible void in the Force. I can't really explain it to someone who doesn't have the Force, but it was cataclysmic, before, I could feel the soft hum of hundreds of Jedi, now...I just feel a dull silence, a disturbing nothingness that I desperately want to be distracted from." I admitted, in the end neither confirming nor denying that I was a Sith, after all, the bartender started the conversation for me, revealing anything concrete now could throw off the flow of it. I would see where this method would get me and, if I'm still not satisfied with the answer, I'll reveal that I am a Jedi and ask my questions through that lens, seeing whether or not that changes what the bartender has to say.

"No one has told me as much yet, but I figured as much. A lot of you Force using types have been in and out of here lately. What'll you have?" the Chiss woman asked, getting down to business but not moving away quite yet. Based on my understanding of bars, this doesn't mean that the conversation is over, rather, this means that she wants to profit off of selling my drinks while enjoying the conversation. This was the moment when I realized that I didn't have any money - or rather, as a Jedi, I wasn't supposed to have any money, only a chip of Republic credits to use when necessary, not for personal expenses - however, on the belt of my robes, as with all the robes Phanza provided me, I found something suspiciously similar to a credit chip. I offered that back to the bartender and she accepted it, however, she did raise a confused eyebrow, which I then quickly realized was because I still haven't actually ordered anything.

"Start me off with a water please, feel free to charge the credit chip." I answered, not sure what Taaszon's policy on water would be, in the Republic, it was supposed to be free at bars, though whether or not that actually applied varied, especially on distant Outer Rim worlds as Clone Wars rationing grew greater and greater. Regardless of the policy, I wasn't going to drink alcohol, but I wanted to talk to the bartender and potentially other patrons, so, I let her charge the credit chip regardless of whether or not water actually cost anything, I doubted that Phanza would care. The bartender didn't seem phased either way by my answer and charged the chip before handing me a cup of water and remaining with me as I talked with her, perhaps slipping into impersonating a Sith as I asked her more "I know this might sound weird to you, but I can't help but think that this is a tragedy, especially with the pretenders in control of the whole galaxy. The Jedi were incredibly flawed, hypocritical, they stayed in a temple high above the actual life and people of Coruscant, and they were consumed by the bloodshed and violence of the Clone Wars, loosing touch of their own code and their own purpose, but they didn't deserve this. They didn't get the luxury or dying in fair battle or got to wither away - perhaps that would be the only correct way for the Jedi to go away - instead, they were betrayed and annihilated. It seems incredibly anticlimactic."

"I don't know about that. Everyone learned about the Jedi hunting down Sith after the Great Hyperspace War and again after the Great Galactic War, purging the Sith Purebloods on Korriban after the former and then leaving Dromund Kaas dead, abandoned, and lost after the latter. The Jedi have purged the Sith before, now they have been purged by a faction of Sith, a faction of Sith who deliberately weaken themselves to two no less. I'm sorry that so many Jedi died here and now, but they brought it upon themselves by forgetting their actions three thousand, five thousand years ago." the bartender replied, revealing much to me in so many words. First of all, this ancient history was very real to the Sith, they were still taught it, what the Jedi considered a terrible, ancient atrocity that was necessary for the greater good, these people considered a genocide. Second of all, because of that very real, very social history, that Wayfinder to Dromund Kaas really is an important artifact. All of the ancient ones were either reprogrammed to lead to Taaszon or lost, but now, now the Sith had a way to return to their old capital, to reclaim a history they perceive as taken from them by the Jedi. This faction of Sith was a strange one, they hardly seemed to be the evil, bigoted, tyrannical state I expected, rather, they were an intelligent, aware, and advanced society that happened to live, relatively happily, within an autocratic state. This shouldn't be a real thing, autocracy was, in my experience, always symbolized by toiling alien peasants held at gunpoint by droids while separatist corporate lords demanded more and more production, working the people to death and robbing a planet of its resources, Taaszon didn't look like that, far from it.

"I did say they are hypocritical, but is a cycle of repeated genocides and revenge what we really want here?" I asked, at this point more trying to get a feeling for the Grand Duchy of Taaszon and their views on the Republic and their mission as a whole. They were a Sith faction so, surely, their nominal goal was to eliminate the Republic and conquering the galaxy but, even through Taaszon is incredibly militarized and deadly, they simply don't have the population and resources to have fought the Republic - they didn't even believe they could fight a sustained conflict against the separatists - now, they were up against an Empire that was as strong as both the Republic and the separatists put together. So, even if conquering the galaxy was still the Grand Duchy's nominal, idealistic goal, it couldn't possibly be in their realistic, short term future, after all, radical change and growth would be necessary to even stand a chance in an asymmetrical, guerilla war against the Empire. It is difficult to win against an opponent with virtually limitless resources, no regard for the lives of their own people, and a ceaseless desire to eliminate any and all enemies with brutal efficiency. Palpatine knows Taaszon exists so, even if we do not wage war against him, he will eventually strike at the Grand Duchy simply because it has the potential of being a thorn in his side and the plotting, calculating Chancellor did not just play two sides of a war and engineer the slaughter of the Jedi to spare a potential rival. Palpatine and his Galactic Empire will be brutal to Taaszon, it is simply in their nature.

"I suppose not, but the Jedi have been overdue for being cut done. Maybe they'll come back better, maybe they won't learn a thing, maybe they won't back back at all, who knows. I just can't believe it happened like this, you are right, it does seems anticlimactic and unfulfilling. No great battle, no attempt to retake the galaxy, just a sudden extermination mere months after we emerged to the galaxy." the bartender revealed, I wondered if she started here not too long ago, my understanding was that bartenders weren't supposed to come off as too opinionated so as to not alienate their patrons, but this woman had no problem stating her beliefs. That being said, that was somewhat of an advantage for me, especially because this Chiss woman just offered me a chance to question her about improving the Jedi, learning what this young woman, evidently quite loyal to Taaszon, had to say. I suppose this is a rather ordinary perspective, after all, this woman was subject to the patriotic, Sith education of the people of the Grand Duchy. I suppose that her education could apply to a lot of the people of Taaszon, especially in her age group, so maybe, for the next person I would ask, I would have to search for an obviously different perspective, seeing what I can find.

"What would you have the Jedi do then? How could you have them be any better?" I asked, wondering what the Chiss woman had to say. Turning back to the Jedi and to the future of the order I could reform. I was a mere Padawan, I was only just starting to accumulate Jedi, and I've been under the influence of the Sith, so, in order to reform the Jedi, I need to accumulate knowledge, accumulate advice, and accumulate influences. A Jedi Order formed with so much Sith influence is perhaps doomed to fail and flawed, but I was going to try and I was going to try and focus on any and all good within Taaszon rather than the bad. I didn't want to use the Dark Side or hurt people, but I did want to see what their philosophy had to offer.

"The Jedi need to decide whether they are going to truly live by their principles or whether they are going to defend the Republic right or wrong. The rise of Palpatine and now the transformation to the Empire is a great example for why the Jedi need to reanalyze their alliance with the Republic, if they do not at least investigate this, then they are perpetually vulnerable to Republic politics. The Jedi must decide between a grand temple and living modestly, they cannot do both, no one is going to fall for it, not anymore, not after the Jedi were proven not to be invincible. The also need to make a decision as to whether they are peaceful or they are warriors, after all, they claim to be pacifists, yet they were wiped out by their own troops on the front lines of a war." the Chiss woman countered, pointing out a number of massive decisions that the Jedi would have to make to return in a time after they've been wiped out. The Jedi cannot simply go back to what they once were or, at very least, if we do return to what we were, we need to have a very good reason for doing so.

"Thank you, you have given me much to think about." I thanked the bartender and made my way out of the cantina, satisfied with the criticisms and the questions that were raised here, some very important decisions that a Jedi Order would have to address. If I had to answer these questions, alone, now - which I wouldn't want to do, as difficult as it may be so soon after Order 66, I would need to form a council for this new Jedi Order...giving me even more difficulties and hurdles to overcome to make this ambition a reality - I would say that the Jedi needs greater autonomy from the Republic. After all, our duty to the Republic is what prevented us from going after the slave-owning Hutts who were allied with the Republic, something I can't help but regret even more now that Thonna Ai'sunn is, more than likely, dead, killed by clones. I also wanted a smaller, more hidden temple, which was rendered necessary by the fact that the Empire would be hunting down this Jedi Order and I couldn't quite trust the Taaszon Sith either. As for the peacekeepers or warriors angle, I have been saying I would rather the Jedi be peacekeepers than warriors - well, we'll have to fight the Empire first, but, after that, I want my Jedi to settle down, become calm, and serve as neutral arbiters, fighting only when necessary - so I found it interesting that this is being echoed by the Chiss woman.

* * *

I wasn't very successful upon leaving the cantina - one wise guy human told me the Jedi would be better off if they didn't ask so many questions, meanwhile, on the other end of the scale, an elderly Togruta woman mistook me for a covert Sith testing her loyalty and panicked, not wanting to tell me anything, then there was my attempt to question a pacification droid, which went about as well as one would expect... - and now I found myself heading towards a large square in the city. There was a fountain in the middle topped with a statue of a Mandalorian warrior, implying that the grand structure at the opposite end of the square was the Mandalorian Enclave. The building was maybe five stories tall, but it was wide, grand, and swept down to the sides, the massive entrance styled like the T-shaped visor of the Mandalorians, and, all the while, the monolithic shadow of the Citadel slowly made it's way across the structure, a never-ending tower, but a thin one, one that could never quite block the sun. The Mandalorian imagery was an interesting sight, a reminder of how much the Clones changed during the clone wars - they never looked exactly like Mandalorians, but the aesthetic was far closer at the beginning, but, slowly but surely, it shifted, growing angrier, more menacing, more pragmatic and less idealistic - now, that transformation is complete. Based on various news reports on Taaszon, showing footage of Coruscant - likely discreetly retrieved from Imperial news sources - the colors and individuality of the clones has been stripped away, replaced with bland, uniform, white armor. The clones worked so hard to differentiate themselves, to be unique, now, Palpatine's mind control has reduced them to his generic cannon fodder, mindless troops to serve his evil purposes and -

I once again got lost in my own head, thinking of the horrible last days of the Republic and what Palpatine has twisted that into, and this time, there was an unfortunate consequence. I bumped into a Mandalorian warrior and found myself falling to the ground in a graceless and embarrassing manner. I rolled over and found myself looking up at a surprisingly tiny Mandalorian in red armor, the curved visor of her helmet similar to the kind worn by female Death Watch members - the Mandalorian terrorist group turned unlikely ally against Maul in the Battle of Mandalore...there is no telling what happened to them after Order 66, I can only imagine Palpatine would want to eliminate a loose end and bring Mandalore under Imperial rule - I wasn't sure what to expect from this warrior. A fight was possible, but I didn't think that a little Mandalorian, likely a student, would brazenly fight a Force user in the middle of a populated city with police and pacification droids everywhere, so that was an unlikely possibility. I suppose it was more likely that the Mandalorian would bark out a half-hearted apology and walk away, that way, they would defer to the Sith without sacrificing their honor or their highly independent culture. What I was not expecting, however, was for the Mandalorian to take her helmet off, profusely apologize, and offer to help me up, nor did I expect the person underneath that helmet to be a young Mirialan.

"Oh! I'm sorry! That was my fault! Are you okay?" the young Mandalorian offered, I accepted her hand and got up before she led me off to the edge of the fountain where we both sat down "I'm so sorry, my lord, you're okay, aren't you? I didn't mean to knock you over, but I wasn't paying attention, you see, my handler at the Enclave told me I have to work on my social skills if I'm ever going to be taken seriously as a Mandalorian. She told me that I talk too much and I go on blabbering about nothing, she says it's very unbecoming of Mandalorians, that we should be the strong silent types and...I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," I laughed lightly while a dark green blush came over her face, the Mirialan's tattoos seemed to be an odd blend of Mirialan and Mandalorian styles, with two rows of tiny Mythosaur emblems below each of her eyes. Her accent was different too, she lacked the typical posh Taaszon accent that Phanza, Ruumshi, Avoine, and even Grand Duchess Voytana spoke with, in fact, the Mirialan's accent seemed more like a typical Republic accent like my own, which seemed odd. Then again, the Chiss of Taaszon, including the bartender woman I spoke to earlier, mostly used the same accent. There were a handful of heavily assimilated Chiss that spoke with the Taaszon accent - which, weirdly enough, was similar to some of the wealthy, Coruscant elite accents - but those were in the minority. Nevertheless, this strange, rambling Mandalorian seemed like she would be far more receptive to my questions than the rest of the people I've spoken to. Her personality honestly seems like the most open and friendly I've seen on Taaszon which, to be fair to her handler, seems incredibly bizarre coming from a Mandalorian. In any case, I decided to be upfront with her "I'm not a Sith either...well, not a member of the Sith Order anyway, I'm a Jedi. The last one perhaps."

"Wow...how did you end up here? You're not undercover, are you? Am I allowed to be asking you these questions?" the Mandalorian asked, her brain and her mouth moving too fast for her own good. I suppose that, if she can cultivate these skills, she's be an incredibly quick thinker on the battlefield, but, in the meantime, she would have to settle for coming off as endearing, which again, I admit that is an odd quality to see in a Mandalorian warrior. In ancient times, Mandalorians fought against the Jedi for glory, invading worlds not for conquest, but in search of worthy opponents, and, when Jedi and Mandalorians did fight, it wasn't always a Jedi victory. These people are deadly, Jedi killers, yet here I am smiling and laughing with one of them. Taaszon truly is an odd place.

"No, I'm not undercover and you're free to ask me whatever you wish. I fled here after Order 66 and I'm staying with Lady Attam now, I was one of the Jedi who came to assist her during the separatist invasion." I revealed, figuring that, based on how informed the people of this world seemed to be, I gave more than enough information for this red armored woman to trust and accept me. Speaking of, that brought up another issue, we still haven't properly introduced ourselves yet "My name is Zaliza Vyvan by the way, Padawan of the Jedi Order."

"My name is Yevenna Aphlen, a foundling of Clan Ordo," Yevenna revealed, showing off the emblem on her shoulder pauldrons, a long vertical symbol which seemed like it could be some strange, double-bladed weapon or perhaps a space station "That is the Star Forge emblem, adopted as our insignia by Mandalore the Preserver, who fought alongside the mighty Revan to destroy it. Our Clan fought alongside the Republic back then, however, things changed quickly after that, the descendants of Mandalore the Preserver saw the Republic and the Jedi sinking into their old habits after the time of Revan and the Exile, thus, without reasonable Jedi to side with, Clan Ordo drifted away from the Republic, finding a place with the hidden Sith Empire. That, eventually, fell apart, and, joining with a number of Sith survivors, Clan Ordo journeyed here to Taaszon, finding a new home. Then one day, they found a little orphan girl on the streets and accepted me as one of their own...you didn't need to know all that at once, did you? Sorry about that...I just...I talk, a lot."

"It's okay Yevenna, I don't mind at all. I do wonder though, what would you consider a reasonable Jedi? What did Revan and the Exile do that was so appealing to your clan in ancient times?" I asked, genuinely wondering what she had to say, though I suspected it would be quite a bit. She took off her helmet for this conversation, but I wonder how this would all sound through it's filters and voice modulation, I couldn't help but think it would sound silly to hear this rambling coming from a somewhat deeper, more mechanical more threatening voice than Aphlen's harmless soprano.

"I mean, I get that the Jedi are all zen and peaceful, not everyone can be warlike, I know that, but...Jedi need to be able to act when it is necessary. There is a time where Jedi have to drop the pacifism and mercy and be decisive - I'm not saying I don't like Taaszon or that I shouldn't be here, but...the Jedi had two opportunities to destroy the Sith and they failed both times, now we're here, we're still able to present a threat - not to mention Palpatine wiped out the Jedi and now rules on Coruscant. No offense, but the Jedi had the chance to stop this thousands of years ago and you failed. Again, I'm not saying that you brought this on yourself, but..." Yevenna replied, giving a different perspective on these Jedi purges of the Sith than the Chiss bartender. I suppose that's the result of the Mandalorian perspective, Yevenna has been influenced by the Mandalorian Enclave and, despite her attitude being a bit different from the typical mold, that influence is reflected in her. She recognizes that the purges were a tragedy and nearly destroyed a civilization, but she understands what the Republic was trying to do and why they purged Korriban, even noting that, from a war perspective, the Republic should've been even more thorough. From my perspective, considering I'm apparently half of a Sith myself and in contact with Taaszon, the Sith Purge at the end of the Great Hyperspace War felt like an even worse war crime by the Republic now that I know this is exactly the kind of thing that Mandalorians would approve of and do in our shoes, no offense to Yevenna.

"I understand what you're saying and, while I don't fully agree with it, I understand that Palpatine has to be stopped. He won't see redemption or remorse - he talked to the Jedi Masters constantly, got to know them, and he lied in their faces - he executed men and women he saw on a daily basis, men and women who trusted him and protected him with their lives. Jedi died to protect him and he repaid them with Order 66, he is beyond justice." I compromised, admitting that, if it were even possible to depose Palpatine at this stage - the man played the whole galaxy against itself, now, everything is under his control, it is hardly unreasonable to believe he may be unstoppable at this point - he must be killed in the process. A Palpatine that survives is a constant threat to the Jedi Order and to peace, regardless of any theoretical and hellish prison we could invent for him.

"What about Taaszon? I mean...we're a threat too..." Yevenna asked, asking a difficult question that I would have to confront. I didn't want to fight against Taaszon, especially not after everything that Phanza has done for me, agenda or not, but, well, Yevenna was right, the Grand Duchy was a threat to a resurgent Jedi Order and to any reborn Republic...or was it? Quite frankly, I don't want conflict, therefore, if there is going to be any tension between a reformed Jedi Order and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, it would come from Grand Duchess Voytana. The woman was powerful and frightening - I was scared of the mere visual of her from the mental link with Phanza, the reality of Voytana, with the thick, constant, and almost oppressive presence of her power, as even worse - but I didn't really know what her goals were. She had Phanza contact the Republic to help against the separatists, so clearly the Grand Duchy is too weak to take on the Empire, so galactic conquest can't be her goal, I've established that, so what is her short term goal? That answer to that question would have far-reaching consequences.

"I don't know, I really don't know..." I trailed off, grateful for Yevenna's answers and advice, but having no real response to her very important question. In any case, if I was going to learn about Taaszon's true mission and purpose, I can think of a place where I can figure it out - Phanza's libraries.

* * *

The sun had set and Taaszon's rings became the dominant feature in the sky as I returned to Castle Attam, seeing the icy flying debris and the red clouds make a rather beautiful sky - especially when combined with the dark blacks, blues, and purples of distant space dotted with millions of stars, many of those nearby stars hosting the Grand Duchy's other planets, other stars yet hosted foreign civilizations. Some of these distant Unknown Regions civilizations were known to the Republic, but most were not, hence the grand and foreboding name for this part of the galaxy. I had to admit the night sky here was beautiful, but I could stargaze another night, for now, I have a library to get to. I made my way through the castle and eventually found myself in the library, confronted both the rows of datapads and holocrons I was expecting, spread across two floors, as well as a number of actual bookshelves, then a generous number of computers dotted the room. This was Phanza's personal collection, but it seemed comparable to the Jedi Archives, if not more extensive.

I pulled out my personal datapad - another thing unexpectedly provided to me by Lady Attam - and collected a number of interesting sound books on Sith philosophy before heading over to the computer terminal, copying the data over so I could read it whenever I want, before leaving the other datapads on a generously placed rolling droid, watching it head over to the shelves. I had no idea how these little gliding units could actually get the datapads back up onto the shelves, but they seemed to be here for that role, so I'm sure that they're somehow capable for it. In any case, sitting at the library, I started going through the reading list, beginning, sensibly, with an introductory volume on the Sith Code. Unsurprisingly, the text started with the code itself, the very same code that Phanza told me onboard the _Ultimate_ when Master Avdune and I tried to get information off of the Sith...Force that felt like a lifetime ago.

_Peace is a lie, there is only passion,_

_through passion, I gain strength,_

_through strength, I gain power, _

_through power, I can victory,_

"Through victory, my chains are broken." I looked over to find Phanza Attam entering the room, the red-skinned Nautolan entering the library with her hood down, letting her head tails lay free. The Nautolan walked over to me and started with a laugh "You were thinking about this code so hard it felt like you were yelling across th bond. You do realize you could've simply asked me about my philosophy, right?"

"I know that, but I also know that I'm free to read whatever I want." I countered, taking advantage of the fact that I now felt comfortable with my freedom, willing to speak up to Phanza and resist her a little bit more now. The Nautolan seemed unphased either way, laughing off my resistance as if it was a harmless, silly joke. I didn't know why Phanza felt the need to do this, she was nice and caring beneath her rough exterior, why did she insist on being cruel and demeaning? She didn't have to hit me with a condescending, humiliating laugh when I'm trying to assert myself.

"You are, you are, but please, humor me." Phanza said before offering me her hand. I glanced at it and hesitated only a moment before grabbing it, letting the Nautolan Sith led me out of the library into a different room, still possessing the datapad and all the reading data I wanted. This way, I could both get the knowledge of what Phanza was about to show me and the knowledge of the text itself, it was the best of both worlds, giving me the whole picture. Phanza took me through the castle until we ended up in a room directly below her quarters, emerging into a half circle hallway surrounded by an aquarium on all sides, the water accessible from the bedroom above. This is when I was reminded of Phanza's physiology, the Nautolan woman was from a species that was comfortable in the water, at home in it, easily swimming and easily breathing in it. Phanza felt just as comfortable, if not more so, on land, but this tank provided her the chance to swim and to be submerged when she wanted it, getting back in touch with her natural roots.

"Wow," I eloquently remarked as I looked through the water, seeing magnificent coral reefs, rock formations, and schools of fish all in the tank, all producing a very real slice of sea life here in Phanza's mountain palace, letting the woman fully embrace her aquatic side. I couldn't help but contrast this with Kit Fisto, the Nautolan Jedi who had no such grand accommodations, living in the same quarters as the other Jedi, only really getting the chance to express his aquatic side during the crisis on Mon Cala earlier during the Clone Wars. I didn't dwell on that contrast too much, not wanting to think of the fact that Kit Fisto was almost certainly killed during Order 66, much like all the other notable Jedi, from Master Yoda to General Skywalker. Those were great and powerful Jedi, but even they could be dead, only pure luck, Ullara's sacrifice, Phanza's assistance, and the fortunate presence of R9-W3 allowing for my survival. I don't think any other Jedi was blessed with such a favorable set of coincidences, no one else got the chance to survive. Shaking off the concerns and the horrible memories, I focused in on the centerpiece of the aquatic environment, I pair of actual, functional underwater vents, bubbling lava out into the water.

"Indeed. This is my aquatic sanctum, and those vents, those vents are the keys to my philosophy. In hot vents exactly like this, at the very beginning of time, molecules combined in such a way to form the very first examples of life and, born with them, were Midichlorians, the building blocks of the Force, forever entangled with life. The Force is present in even the most primitive forms of life, in plants, in animals, and, indeed, in people. People who eat supposedly inferior forms of life, animals for meat and plants for grain, people allow themselves to dominate over lesser forms of life. Therefore, I am no worse than anyone else for allowing myself to fully use the Force, from the light side to the dark side, everything is free for me to use. Why? Because I am superior to the Force in the very same way that I am superior to a mere plant or an animal, I can dominate over the Force, bend it to my will, and I will not be consumed by the dark side like you Jedi preach, I will not allow my own power, my own Midichlorians, to overpower me, because I know I can dominate them." Phanza explained, giving her argument for the superiority over the Force, in sharp contrast to the Jedi view. The Jedi believed that the Force is supreme, that it decides our destiny, and that, when we die, it is our destiny to become one with the Force, meanwhile, the Sith view the Force as a weapon, something they can control, not something metaphysical but rather something tangible and usable. It was a stark difference, but, whether or not I subscribe to her theory, her linking midichlorians to evolution itself is a valid argument. It is refreshing to know that Phanza does not view the Force as a weapon out of malice, but actually has an argument and an evidence behind her belief.

"How can you be so sure you won't be consumed by the dark side? What makes you so certain that you're safe from yourself?" I asked, legitimately wondering what she'll have to say about this. The Jedi always presented being consumed by hate and anger as inevitable for someone who taps into the dark side, but Phanza insists this is not the case, and I want to know why this is the case.

"The dark side and the light side are simply labels for different aspects of the Force. I can use the light side to heal an injury and attack with the dark side in the next moment - even you must admit that the dark side is superior in a fight - and I will not fall. To be consumed by the Force, you need to lose sight of your own strength and your own purpose, simply use the Force for the sake of using the purpose. So long as you maintain sight of who you are, what your power is, and how much you can dominate the Force, you will never fall. The ability to manipulate and control the Force is so severe that, using the ancient secrets of Sith Alchemy, a sufficiently powerful and capable Sith can create midichlorians, create life itself. How can you be consumed by something you can literally create?" Phanza replied, revealing that her confidence, knowledge, and self-sureness is precisely what is grounding her despite use of the dark side. There was also the issue of Sith Alchemy I was now thinking about - if a Sith Lord could create life itself, what would be the consequences of that?

* * *

Ooh that is a tease combined with a bit of dramatic irony, I can be a half decent writer sometimes. Phanza's take on the Sith is a bit out there and beyond the usual Star Wars fare, I admit, but I will be explaining it more later on and showing how she behaves. In any case, this long one has been chapter twelve and, with chapter thirteen, Phanza and Zaliza will have plenty to do, so stick around.

Ciao!


	13. Shadows of The Rule of Two

Hello everyone, here we are with chapter thirteen. Now, I got this comment here on FFN, someone asking me to divide up the paragraphs. I understand why someone would want that, however, the long paragraphs are a stylistic choice. I apologize if it can be hard to read, but maybe you can increase the text size or the spacing if that helps - I believe the text size and space are both bigger on AO3 than on FFN to begin with, if that helps - I hope you don't think of this as me rejecting constructive criticism. I accept that my writing doesn't appeal to everyone, I know, but it's also how I want to write.

Anyway, enjoy!

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XIII.

Shadows of The Rule of Two.

* * *

I was walking through Castle Attam, dressed in a set of purple and black robes, purple eyes and red face sticking out from under the hood of my robe with the double-bladed lightsaber on my hip, looking more and more like a Sith by the day. I suppose it was inevitable, now that I knew I wasn't a Zeltron after all, I was a Sith half-blood, a mixture of a human and a Sith Pureblood - my father, whoever he was, was a creature similar to the terrifying Grand Duches - and, on top of everything, Voytana left me with the implication that the Jedi killed my father. I don't know why that news hurt me, I never knew my father or anyone else, I wasn't supposed to after all, the Jedi were raised to forget their parents and move beyond their attachments, I shouldn't have been affected by this news, I especially shouldn't have been mourning a Sith Lord. I said that, but I knew that wasn't true, I knew that I would mourn Phanza if anything happened to her, especially on top of the monumental loss that I've already experienced with Order 66. This left me in a concerned state, I look like a Sith, I am, by definition, at least half of a Sith, and now I'm even reading Sith philosophy, at what point do I stop being a Jedi? In this stressed out state of mind, I found Phanza rushing through the castle, clearly stressed out herself, something must have happened. I jogged up to Phanza, falling into step with her.

"What's going on?" I asked as Lady Attam and I headed towards Phanza's taxi, evidently whatever happened, we were heading out of the castle. I was trying to figure out what happened, it couldn't be an Imperial invasion, after all, the mobilization would be clear as day, with fighters, starships, and dreadnoughts taking off and heading to the outer systems, so, considering this just seemed to be Phanza, it wasn't anything quite that pressing. That didn't necessarily calm me down anymore, because Phanza was one of the highest ranking Sith in this whole Grand Duchy, there was a very realistic chance that she knew about an impending disaster long before it happened, especially considering her extensive spy network in the rest of the galaxy. Taaszon, in general, was hidden from the rest of galaxy while they are exposed to them, but Phanza was at a level even above that, she has spies within the Republic and within the separatists, likely explaining the aesthetic and technological between the Republic and Taaszon.

"I've lost contact with several of my spies on Coruscant, I suspect that they have been compromised. I've ordered the others on Coruscant to disperse, flee into the lower levels, and get off planet as soon as possible. The Empire has something capable of detecting our spies and dispatching them, I need to find out, but first, I need to report this to Grand Duchess Voytana." Phanza explained, revealing that her spies have been exposed and are very likely being hunted down, killed, or arrested. This is evidently something new, as these spies weren't found so easily in the days of the Republic - in retrospect, Phanza is hardly the worst person to be spying on the Republic, but it's shocking how easily the Sith were able to infiltrate Coruscant itself - though...I suppose I can't really call this shocking considering that Palpatine himself infiltrated Coruscant and took extreme power in front of the Jedi and the Republic. Now, that Palpatine was in complete control, he had a way of exposing and eliminating these spies with rapid and brutal efficiency...considering Taaszon's smaller population and isolated systems, the loss of these spies would destroy one of the few advantages and equalizing factors that Taaszon had.

Thus, with that established, Phanza and I took the taxi speeder from Castle Attam up to the citadel, where I would have to encounter the sickeningly crushing power of Grand Duchess Voytana again. I was not necessarily looking forward to that experience, nor was I looking forward to the prospect that these spy disappearances implied that conflict between the Empire and Taaszon was growing dangerously close, but I knew that this was a major event and I wanted to know everything that was going on. I also wanted to be in a position to prevent conflict, if that was in anyway possible. Now, that obviously did not mean that Palpatine could remain in control of the galaxy, but I knew that Taaszon couldn't possibly beat the Empire in a fair fight - Palpatine took over the Republic through subterfuge, scheming, and deception, now, the only way to force him out of power was to use the very same tactics - therefore, that is what I wanted to avoid. Of course, considering that the Empire represents the combined military might of the Republic and the separatists, as well as whatever other tricks Palpatine has hidden up his leaves, and that the Empire knows about Taaszon's outlying systems, avoiding a traditional conflict would be difficult to say the being said, I wouldn't necessarily put it past the Sith of Taaszon to abandon those worlds and then make an Imperial invasion a logistical nightmare via a deadly mixture of guerrilla and scorched earth tactics, but I didn't want it to come to that. Especially not after the Clone Wars already saw such conflicts occur on Ryloth and Onderon.

* * *

Phanza and I entered the throne room of Grand Duchess Voytana, already feeling the creeping, oppressive power of the Duchess wash over me. There wasn't even a malicious intent in her power yet, but the feeling already made me want to curl up and die...she had to be stronger than Palpatine, there is no way that the Chancellor turned Empire would have been able to hide all this raw power from the Jedi. This revelation didn't exactly help us though, even if Grand Duchess Voytana could defeat Palpatine, as I suspected, we would have an army of clones and planetary defenses between us and Coruscant. Yes, General Grievous was able to infiltrate this system and kidnap Palpatine, but, knowing that the Chancellor was in charge of the separatists as well, this incident was clearly staged, so I don't think that the Grand Duchy has the military power to actually reach Palpatine. There is also the ugly reality of what happens when Palpatine dies - there are still millions of clones throughout the galaxy, officers who would want to fill Palpatine's power vacuum rather than rebuild the Republic, and the fact that then, I would have to convince Voytana to surrender the galaxy when she just eliminated the main obstacle to Taaszon conquering it. This was all a very ugly theoretical and, Phanza, evidently feeling these thoughts bleeding over through our mysterious link in the Force, reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze as we faced the Grand Duchess. It was a small gesture, but one that meant very specific things in certain cultures, nevertheless, I found it comforting. I suppose Phanza may have as well, I'd imagine that, even for her, it's not easy to report a failure to Voytana, especially considering the implications of such a failure.

"My master, we have a problem." Phanza said as she bowed, I followed her lead "I have lost contact with a number of my spies on Coruscant, I suspect they have been compromised. I have told the others to begin extraction procedures, but I am concerned, these incidents happened with brutal speed and efficiency, we're never lost these many spies before, certainly not this quickly. I don't know how the Empire is doing this, and, as a side effect of that, I don't know how much information they'll be able to extract from these spies."

"Did any of them have wayfinders?" Voytana asked, suddenly very concerned at the possibility that the Empire may have gotten their hands on a device that will allow them to travel straight to Taaszon. This situation was already bad enough, but so long as the Empire couldn't actually attack the Grand Duchy's homeworld, we would be relatively safe. Yes, the Empire could attack the outlying systems, but what then? The Empire would need to send out probes and expeditions to discover Taaszon and its other systems before making an attack, that gives us time and a certain amount of safety.

"No, there are a number of intermediaries between my spies and Taaszon, the closest they could theoretically get to is the Star Cluster, but even that is unlikely - I don't hire talkative spies." Phanza explained, giving an answer that soothed and calmed down her master. I didn't fully understand what Phanza said, but I was relieved too, not only was Taaszon itself safe, but the Grand Duchy is not necessarily implicated. Palpatine could very well deduce this or speculate it, not to mention the fact that he will very likely aim to strike Taaszon sooner rather than later, but this spy ring bust may actually lead the Empire on a wild goose chase that could divert time and resources from any potential invasion of Taaszon.

"Good, but that still raises the question of - " Voytana stopped in the middle of her sentence, the Sith Pureblood woman who appeared so young and small in her giant throne - deceptive considering her inhuman power - paused as she realized something, as if she was so strong in the Force she sensed something that was utterly incomprehensible to Phanza or I, Voytana used the Force to pull up a hidden screen, explaining as it showed footage of the disfigured Palpatine speaking before the Senate, a massive, black armored hulking brute standing next to him, the terrifying, mechanical breathing of this creature's mask could be heard over Palpatine's speech, sending a chilling effect even here, far away from Coruscant and through a video monitor of the event "Palpatine is making an announcement before the Senate right now, I suspect that this involves our present situation."

"...scarred and deformed. The betrayal of the Jedi was not limited to merely the Republic, the struck out against their own, destroying all who would oppose this grand deception. The clones and I tried to bring order and save as many of these true Jedi as would, but we failed, only managing to save one, and only then after extensive burns and injuries. This is Lord Vader, the last of the true Jedi and the new guardian of order and peace in this galaxy. Lord Vader, already after recovering from his injuries, has unearthed a conspiracy to spy on and destabilize our new Galactic order! Lord Vader, assisted by an order of Inquisitors, will work to track down and disarm any potential threats to the peace and prosperity of the galaxy..."

"He has a new apprentice." Phanza deduced, seeing through Palpatine's various twists, spins, and lies about Order 66. This apprentice was clearly a former Jedi, based on Palpatine's story, but who could have possibly survived Order 66? Moreover, who could've possibly been corrupted by Palpatine into working for him despite all that he has done? Perhaps this suit was forced on a dying Jedi, now, forced to live in agony, struggle to breath, and constantly being at Palpatine's mercy, that Jedi has been left with no choice but to serve Palpatine. Perhaps, none of that is true, perhaps this individual was a Sith long before Order 66 and Palpatine is just making up a story for the public to accept this blatantly evil, hulking monstrosity and whatever these Inquisitors were. I could only imagine that, first and foremost, the purpose of Lord Vader and these Inquisitors was to hunt down any Jedi who survived Order 66, then, their second purpose will be to annihilate Taaszon, destroying these Sith before we can even become a thorn in Palpatine's side.

"I don't know who this could be...I can't imagine who would betray the Jedi, nor can I think of anyone surviving Order 66 for long enough to be corrupted by Emperor Palpatine." I answered the unspoken question that both Voytana and Phanza had, revealing that I truly didn't know who this Lord Vader could be, nor did I know anything about these Inquisitors. Were the Inquisitors Force-users as well? If so, were they former Jedi or were the evolutions of the Jedi Killers like Asajj Ventress that Count Dooku employed during the Clone Wars? If they were not Force-users, how were they equipped to support Vader against any potential Jedi or Sith threats? Was I even right about their purpose? I didn't like this, we were completely unaware of this new threat, this new tool that Palpatine would be deploying against us, already having hunted down our spies.

"We need to find out who this and what we're up against." Grand Duchess Voytana summarized, spelling out the challenge in front of us. The whole purpose of these spies was so that Taaszon could remain one step ahead of the Republic turned Empire, but now, with our spies on Coruscant gone, we were blind, and, worse than that, we weren't even fully sure of why we were blind. We know that Darth Vader is responsible, but we don't know the why, the who, or the what of this situation, that adds yet another disadvantage to a growing list of Taaszon's weaknesses against the Empire. I knew more about war than any sixteen year old should, and I know that Taaszon has no chance in a war against the Empire, especially if the Empire now had a fully fledged Sith apprentice openly hunting down our spies and our agents, doing what Palpatine could not do. Right now, Emperor Palpatine still had to appear as the former Chancellor who was betrayed by the Republic, not until his tyranny was absolute could he reveal he was a Sith, and even then, I don't think he will. There is no reason for Emperor Palpatine to reveal that he is the Dark Lord of the Sith, his current status in the galaxy could only be threatened by that information. That could have been somewhat of an advantage for us, but no, now there is Vader, this towering cyborg who has no such limitations or appearances to keep.

"Our spies are out of the equation and Zaliza doesn't know, I fear our only remaining option is to consult the underworld." Phanza sighed, her tone dripping with just how unsavory of an option that was, but it seemed the only option. I was sure that Phanza had more supplies in the Empire, not just on Coruscant, but, considering that her spies on the capital were just purged and a Force user, if not a group of Force users, were hunting them, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to contact them now, as trying to answer this question could potentially lead to the rest of Phanza's spy network being liquidated. I didn't know which Jedi Vader could be, if he ever was a Jedi to begin with - that left the underworld. The crime syndicates, slicers, and information brokers of the galaxy prided themselves on knowing anything and everything they could, especially if they weren't supposed to know it. These were criminals of the highest order and their information often came with a high price, but, even I had to admit, I didn't see any alternative right now.

The Republic had a mandate to fight the underworld, to stop these slavers, and to spread democracy wherever possible, but the Republic sacrificed these morals and overlooked the crimes of the Hutts, in a process which began long before the Clone Wars. The Republic, even before Palpatine, was ineffectual during the Trade Federation's invasion and occupation of Naboo, a blatantly illegal act that was allowed to happen thanks to corruption, bureaucracy, and, admittedly, Palpatine's influence, even as a Senator, played a role, but the point remains, the Republic was supposed to oppose the Hutts, not ally with them. I didn't want to work with the Hutts to begin with, but at very least the Grand Duchy of Taaszon had no obligation or purpose to fight the Hutts or any other crime syndicate. I know that seems like a small distinction, but it is a matter of principles and purpose - for better or worse, the Grand Duchy of Taaszon does exactly what they set out to do - survive, remain hidden, and spy on the galaxy while attempting to gain strength and numbers. At the end, neither the Republic, nor the Jedi, were doing what they were supposed to, and perhaps that is why we're so vulnerable to Palpatine.

"Very well, go to Nar Shaddaa and meet with our contacts. I don't need to tell you to be wise and be discrete." Grand Duchess Voytana ordered before Phanza and I bowed once again, Lady Attam pulling me out of the room by our still conjoined hand. I only released Phanza's hand once we were out of the throne room, I didn't know what it meant that I was comforted by a Sith, though considering that I wanted to be comforted in the presence of a Dark Lord of the Sith, I suppose I could be in a worse scenario. It didn't really help that anyone else that could comfort me in such a situation was dead, thanks to Palpatine no less, a man who, while powerhungry and deceptive, I assumed was basically harmless. A threat to democracy? Sure, corrupt? Quite possibly, but an existential threat to the Jedi? Not even the most cynical of us could have predicted that. Of course, that alone was enough for Phanza to pressure me to kill Palpatine, and, perhaps in retrospect, that would've been the right thing to do, but neither of us knew that back then. Even when Phanza told me about the clones being Palpatine's favorite executioners, which I initially assumed were the Jedi, we couldn't predict the scale of Order 66. Perhaps the Temple bombing should have served as a warning, when Ahsoka Tano was being hunted down and tracked for a crime she didn't actually commit...the Jedi didn't seem to learn much of anything from that grand embarrassment.

"Come on, we need to get you a disguise. A Jedi isn't going to meet with the criminals and syndicates of the galaxy." Phanza explained, spelling out the fact that we would never be safe in the galaxy at large again, we would always be hunted by the Empire and by anyone willing to collaborate with them. Even on a brief, illegal, and hidden trip like this, I couldn't show up as Zaliza Vyvan, the last of the Jedi Padawans, I needed to be disguised, I needed to lie, deceive, and hide just to stay alive if I ever left Taaszon. I didn't mind Lady Attam and I had to admit that Castle Attam was a beautiful place to live, but even then, I couldn't imagine myself living in Taaszon for the rest of my life, but what other alternative was there? I had to be disguised, even on a lawless world like Nar Shaddaa, where even scum like Exiim Abarghe and Dalenda the Hutt were able to live out openly, I had to hide the fact that I was a Jedi. Phanza would have to be disguised as well, considering she too was a rival Force user, but I suspected she already had a plan to disguise herself when meeting with the underworld - similar to how Phanza's spies often don't actually know about Taaszon - I suppose we're all entering an age of obfuscations and lies.

* * *

In the end, it was a brown leather jacket over a white top, I wore white leggings tucked into black boots, with a pair of twin holsters on my thighs. My hair was tied back into a bun and I wore contacts to make my eyes appear pink, rather than purple, all of this was in an attempt to make me look like a Zeltron bodyguard Phanza had taken on, rather than as a former Jedi. Lady Attam was very thorough with this ruse, not only did we buy a pair of blasters to fill my holsters, but we had them illegally modified in a fashion that was typical of high end criminals. I didn't look nor feel quite like my usual self, but, as we traveled to Phanza's hanger, the Sith Lord insisted that was the point, stressing that she would be changing into her own disguise as well. Curiously enough, we continued past the hangar holding the _Ultimate_, heading to yet another hangar that I haven't seen yet. Phanza and I rounded the corner and entered the new hangar, revealing a luxurious, asymmetrical chrome pleasure craft. The craft started out simple enough, with a long, split nose design with two long, flowing, almost blade like protrusions framing the cockpit, however, past the cockpit, the asymmetry began. On the right side - relative to the cockpit - the blade design swept back into a traditional wing, however, on the left side, another, smaller split blade design, mimicking the main structure of the ship, was arranged vertically, one side below the main structure of the ship, the other side above it. A somewhat short stabilizer fin aligned with the cockpit completed the design, the rear of the ship simply made up of two wide, trapezoidal opening, the actual thrusters hidden inside of them.

I hadn't thought of this, but it makes sense, Palpatine no doubt knows the design of Phanza's personal ship, in fact, he probably even knows the _Ultimate_ by name, of course we would need a different ship for this. I just didn't take Phanza's extreme preparation into account, yet here we are, the woman not only has disguises, but she has a starship to go along with the disguises. For all we know, Phanza has been to Coruscant countless times before deliberately revealing herself to receive an audience. I wonder how many times this ship has been caught on the Republic radar and allowed through, the officers responsible having no idea what they were truly dealing with. Of course, I was happy that Phanza was still alive, as weird as that is to say about a Sith, but, at the same time, between her activities and the tragic coup that Palpatine managed, I can't help but think of how useless the Republic and the Jedi were revealed to be. We have all these laws, oaths, and creeds saying we must fight the Sith and stop them from conquering the galaxy but, as two high profile Sith have revealed recently, we're not very good at it after all. Though I suppose we shouldn't be, after all, we were supposed to be keepers of justice, arbiters of peace, and defenders of the defenseless, but...it was also so difficult. It was almost a paradoxical set of failures that led to the massacre of the Jedi - we were too warlike and lost sight of our values, however, we did not go far enough in fighting the Sith, at the same time however, an outright purge on the Sith would also defy our original values - and I couldn't pretend to have all the right answers this time.

"This is the _Chancellery_, the personal starship of Zapnha Tamat, Nautolan stateswoman, galactic information broker, owner the Star Cluster casino on Nar Shaddaa, and Grandmistress of the New Order of Revan." Phanza explained, showing off the ship. I rolled my eyes when realizing her cover identity was an anagram for her actual name - I was expecting something a bit more clever and thought out, to be honest - however, considering we live in a galaxy of trillions of people, and the fact that, as I later found out, Zapnha and Tamat are actual, fairly common names in the Outer Rim, I suppose that it was possible for two individuals to have names which are anagrams for each others. That being said, I hope that Phanza had a good disguise and a way of covering up those tattoos, because, while an anagram alone may not be incriminating, an anagram, matching distinctive tattoos, and a companion the same species as Jedi who wasn't verified dead...that would not slip past Palpatine's radar quite as easily. In any case, I now had my answer of what the Star Cluster was, a casino that was, covertly, owned by the Sith of Taaszon and used as a front for many of their activities in the wider galaxy. As for what the New Order of Revan was, that raised some questions - especially considering that the Jedi still have records of the Sith Empire and Republic having to make a brief truce to battle the original Order of Revan.

"You're the Grandmistress of a cult that doesn't even worship you?" I quipped, fishing for an answer but not trying to make it seem like I was interrogating the Nautolan. Any humor that my remark could have had was drained out like a vacuum upon the realization that I really didn't want to offend or hurt Phanza, the Sith was the last person I had left, the last reminder of life before Order 66. Without her, everyone that I knew from the Republic was either dead or had betrayed its ideals and defected to Palpatine's vile and evil Empire. The death that hurt most was, of course, the loss of my master. I saw Palpatine send the message to Commander Warlock, that meant that Master Avdune and I had more warning of Order 66 than any Jedi in the galaxy, we survived their ambush, we even survived a sniper bolt before fleeing into Count Dooku's former sanctum, we were so close to escaping it, so close to a miraculous survival, but then she had to sacrifice herself so that I could escape. Ullara never gave me the chance to try and see if we could escape together, by the skin of our teeth, escaping to Taaszon, but no, she's dead, now, here I am, alive, with no one else but a Sith, granted, an exceptionally peculiar one, but a Sith nonetheless.

"Well in retrospect, perhaps Zapnha should have founded the Cult of Phanza Attam, having a cult would be so much fun - I could order them around and use them for cannon fodder." Phanza replied, her own wit having a noticeably darker twist to it, likely a result of her Sith background, despite her otherwise nice, if occasionally biting and brutally critical, personality. The Nautolan, sensing both that her joke didn't quite go over well and that my thoughts had gone down a dark path, decided to distract me with an answer while we boarded the _Chancellery_ "The New Order of Revan was founded when my predecessors, agents of Taaszon operating under pseudonyms in the larger galaxy, wanted to create a partner organization loyal to our cause without openly being affiliated with the Sith. Thus, Revan, who had been a Sith, though, more significantly, a Jedi before and after that, was the obvious figure to frame this organization around. The organization still operates in the shadows, obviously, however, having members exposed was not automatically a death sentence under the Republic, though now...perhaps things are different. In any case, my role with the Order of Revan is one of my ways of coordinating spies, contacting the criminal underworld, and opening doors in places you may never expect. Essentially, it's a means to an end, though don't let the Neo-Revanites know that, to them, it's practically a religion."

"Wow...that is incredibly pragmatic and cynical." I admitted as Phanza showed me to my room - the ship had the captain's master bedroom, plus a somewhat smaller, though still ostentatious, second bedroom. This all fit with the image, after all, it wouldn't make sense for a pleasure craft to have a military style crew quarters, however, I was sure that the _Chancellery_ had a star cruiser's worth of hidden weaponry, though even that was not necessarily out of line for such pleasure craft. I mean, just a few years ago, Senator Amidala's body double was killed in a bombing attack on her ship as it landed on Coruscant. Speaking of, I hope that the Senator is okay, the woman was always a friend of the Jedi and a champion of democracy in the Senate, now, both of those things would likely make her an enemy of Palpatine, if the Sith Lord hadn't already killed her, that is. I tried to shake these thoughts away, if I was ever going to fall asleep on the journey to Nar Shaddaa, I had to get my mind off of such tragedies. I needed to be well rested, especially if our questioning of the underworld is going to involve the likes of the Hutts. I didn't even know if I had the patience to face one of those awful slavers, now that Thonna Ai'sunn was doubtlessly killed.

* * *

My admittedly light sleep came to a shift end as the _Chancellery_ lightly lurched out of hyperspace, over Nar Shaddaa, Nal Hutta floating below its urbanized moon. Nal Hutta, with its factories, refineries, pollution, and swamps, is the true face of the Hutts, but the gaudy, seedy, and towering cityscape of Nar Shaddaa is what they want to present to the rest of the galaxy. I wasn't exactly looking forward to this, however, I knew that we needed to depend on unconventional sources of information to stay ahead of the Empire - first it was Phanza's spies, but, considering that isn't an option right now, we need to consult the underworld, seeing what they know - if this worked, it would be rather concerning, considering that criminals and lowlifes had a great deal of information on the Empire, which means that they had just as much knowledge, if not more so, on the Republic.

I stepped out of my room to see Phanza, dressed in an elegant black dress with a red sash, applying red makeup over her tattoos, masking her face and the head tails, a black, silver, and red tiara sitting on the table in front of her, ready to go on once her tattoos were covered. This, I had to admit, was a much better way of hiding her identity than calling herself Zapnha Tamat, so that filled me with a little more confidence of us remaining hidden. I was sure that Phanza was intelligent enough to manage a better name, but perhaps it was easier to play it simple, more memorable, and it left the potential for Phanza to switch to a more advanced identity should this one ever get compromised.

"I hate doing this, you know." Phanza began, talking about covering up her tattoos "Darth Imperius, an ancient Sith, was a red-skinned Twi'Lek, a former slave who became a Sith, and on her face and Lekku she wore these exact types of black tattoos, they became somewhat of a symbol of her. Imperius was also the beginning of a line of masters and apprentices that extends all the way to Grand Duchess Voytana and myself. These tattoos represent who I am, the next figure in a lineage that has shaped Taaszon more than even the hereditary line of the Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses, yet I have to cover them up now. I'll have to cover them up a lot going forward I fear, avoiding the Empire. I'd imagine that's what Palpatine wants though, a suppression of identity - there is no place for a lineage that rose from slaves to the Dark Council in a single generation, a lineage that remained at the top of the Sith Empire's society until the very end, and a lineage that has been instrumental in the creation of Taaszon - no, not even his own lineage matters to Palpatine, all that matters is his own power."

I listened as Phanza ranted, knowing that she didn't mean a lineage in the conventional sense, rather she meant a lineage as in the line of masters and apprentices tracing back to Darth Imperius - presumably the individual that Imperius Prime is named after - and I actually liked this idea of lineage. It was certainly a lot easier being a Jedi thinking of myself as the continuation of Ullara's lineage, rather than that of some mysterious Sith who operated out in the galaxy sixteen years ago. A Sith-Human hybrid then, I always thought of myself as an alien, but I'm half-human, and the other half is a specie that was just as dominant and oppressive as humans have ever been, if not more so. I was never a Zeltron, my bloodline doesn't come from aliens, it comes from oppressors and conquerors...yes, a Jedi lineage would be much preferable to that. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but find it ironic that I was the Jedi product of a Sith bloodline while Phanza was the Sith product of an alien bloodline, and even the Sith lineage she connects herself to originates with an alien.

"I know how you feel, I have just as much to hide as you do." I sighed, feeling uncomfortable without my lightsaber on my hip - it would remain hidden onboard this ship, Phanza insisted that was the safest place to keep it - however, now, seeing her dress, I couldn't help but be drawn to the black, red, and silver scabbard at her hip, and the curved hilt of her lightsaber emerging from it. First of all, this was a very odd way of keeping a lightsaber, a which which Phanza had never previously carried her weapon, second of all, she was going to carry a lightsaber out there, on her hip, despite the fact the Empire was hunting us and everything else. I couldn't help but question this, it seemed like such a bad idea and so anathema to the effort she was putting into hiding her tattoos "You're going to carry your lightsaber out there? How are you going to explain that one away?"

"The idea is that it is a war trophy. The fact that I, an ordinary woman as far as they know, somehow has a lightsaber, creates a difficult question in the mind of any criminal or rival who encounters Zapnha Tamat - how did she get this lightsaber? Did she kill a Jedi? Does she know how to use it? - and, in turn, the mere existence of this weapon keeps me safe from anyone who would try anything against me. Combine that with your presence, we won't have any trouble, even as we meet with some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy." Phanza explained as she finished covering up her tattoos, washed the red makeup off of her hands, applied a glossy coat of black lipstick to her lips, and put on the tiara, the luxury headpiece settling just before were head tails began, filling up the expanse of her forehead which looked rather blank without the black angular designs extending around her face from their origin at the tip of her head tails. Evidently, these tattoos have their origin in Twi'lek slave culture in the ancient Sith Empire, however, the Phanza wears them due to their links to Sith culture, rather than out of any sort of alien camaraderie between Nautolans and Twi'lek - as far as I know, nothing links those species beyond the usual coexistence in the larger galaxy. In any case, having calmed my fears, Phanza headed to the cockpit to oversee the landing, I joined her there, despite the fact that neither of us were necessarily pilots. The autopilot handled the landing largely autonomously as Phanza and I sat on either side of the hidden console containing the _Chancellery's_ wayfinder.

* * *

I followed Phanza as we walked through the extravagant, neon decor of the Star Cluster casino - long, purple lights framed the main section of the dome over the gambling floor, and between those two purple light strips framed a fabulous, beautiful, starry sky, a fictional one, but a wonderful one, filled with colorful nebula and, fittingly, beautiful star clusters, and all of it rotated slowly, to add to the impression that this is a real sky. the top of the dome contained the actual lighting, painting the room in such a way that was both bright and dim, all designed to make it impossible to tell what time it truly was. The Star Cluster, like all casinos, fed into compulsive gambling, keeping people on the floor for as long as possible. I couldn't help but take in my surrounding, but Phanza welcomed it actually, telling me that, so long as I kept an attentive scowl on my face, it would simply look like I was a suspicious bodyguard, feeding into my cover. Phanza, meanwhile, naturally stepped into the identity of Zapnha Tamat, throwing an extra sway into her hips as the galactic femme fatale type strolling through the casino like she owns the place, the fact that she actually does almost seemed irrelevant to the fact.

Dripping with her own confidence and guiding me through the casino, Zapnha barged unannounced into a conference room, a wave of blasters were aimed at as she strolled into a room filled with Nar Shaddaa's greatest criminals. I, playing the part I was given, merely raised an eyebrow with my hand on my belt, a deadly mix of casual confidence and reaching for one of my twin blaster pistols. The criminals lowered their guns before before the double doors closed behind us, knowing they were in Zapnha's casino and not wanting to test how dangerous the woman is, nor knowing what to expect from me, her new bodyguard. I took a quick survey of the room, Dalenda was here, however, the Hutt Lieutenant, either out of stupidity or a Hutt disdain for other species in general, didn't recognize me, and the incident with Exiim Abarghe evidently hurt his reputation, as Dalenda wasn't here alone, accompanied by - and seemingly subservient to - a larger, older Hutt with a cybernetic arm and a matching eye implant, allowing that Hutt to access their most sensitive of records at will. Other than the Hutts and their Gamorrean bodyguards, the Exchange was represented by a green skinned Twi'lek dancer and two other dancers which served as her bodyguards, a collection of IG series assassin droids filled one corner of the table, and, opposite of them, sat a diverse set of hunters, representing the Bounty Hunters guild. A human dressed ridiculously in goggles and a longcoat sat next to them as an independent slicer, and, finally, a number of independent Pykes - evidently having somehow escaped Maul's subjugation of the Pyke Syndicate for his Shadow Collective - completed this unruly set.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Zapnha began, speaking with a standard Republic accept rather than her typical posh one, she circled the meeting table, trying to make this jump of criminals as uncomfortable as possible, even stepping on Dalenda's tail - she didn't do that to the Hutt who was truly in charge - as she made her way around, brushing her cold fingers across the bare shoulders of the green skinned Twi'lek in such a way I didn't like, for reason I didn't quite understand. In any case, as Phanza circled around and tormented these criminals meeting in her own casino, she made her speech "I'm sure whatever business you were preciously discussing was _very_ important, but I'm not going to let a brain trust like this into my casino without extracting a little toll. Bribes and favor are all well and good, but information is a valuable resource. Palpatine has a six and a half foot tall Jedi bodyguard in a black armored suit. All the other Jedi supposedly betrayed the Republic and were killed by the Clones. I want to know who this enforcer is, how did he survive, and whether or not he's going to be a threat to my businesses and operations throughout the galaxy. I know you paranoid bunch of freaks have been looking into him, tell me what you know."

Phanza settled at the head of the table, taking a demanding stance, and I circled the room, settling next to her, watching the table and watching the entrance closely...between the uncomfortable feeling in this room, my own uncertainty in the disguise, and the tense feeling of impending doom that I've been struggling with ever since Order 66...I had a bad feeling about this.

"I don't know anything Zapnha, I lost contact with the Exchange branch on Coruscant and, all of a sudden, I see the news reports of Palpatine's conference with Darth Vader." the Twi'lek woman revealed, a sentiment that was echoed by the Hutts, Pykes, slicers, and bounty hunters...the situation was worse than any of us thought, it wasn't a simple targeting of our spy network, Palpatine used Vader to eliminate any threat to him on Coruscant. This wasn't a coordinated strike on our spies, this was Vader wreaking havoc on anyone he could reach that wasn't loyal to Palpatine's new order. All of the flaws and weaknesses in the Republic were intentional, every slicer that ever accessed the Republic database was a deliberate oversight so that Palpatine could justify the existence of a brutal faction of Inquisitors and a chief enforcer in the form of Vader, and now, those new living weapons would be deployed against any surviving Jedi, the Sith of Taaszon, the criminal underworld, any planetary resistance movements, and anyone else that would dare oppose Palpatine.

"We remember what happened last time the Pykes did business with the Sith. Perhaps you should let sleeping dogs lie, Lady Tamat." the leader of this faction of the Pykes warned, reminding everyone of all the resources and lives wasted when the Pyke Syndicate was forced to go along with Maul's occupation of Mandalore, which, in retrospect, was probably part of Palpatine's plan as well. Palpatine's plan. That little thought filled my head like an alarm klaxon as I could sense a number of presences in the Force entering the Star Cluster casino, two of which were strong in the Force. Phanza felt it too, based on the subtle change in her body language, but she wasn't quite as panicked as I was, because I sensed something else with these two presences. I couldn't quite identify who just yet, but I knew I sensed these two figures before, I knew they were former Jedi, and I knew that they couldn't be Palpatine. The Chancellor hid his presence in the Force, I didn't know what his presence felt like, nor did Phanza, so that meant Vader and...who? One of those inquisitors?

A breaching torch lit up the door as Phanza and I knew we were about to find out. Joining an unlikely alliance of assassin droids, Hutts, gangsters, bounty hunters, and a slicer, I readied my unfortunate loadout of two blasters and Phanza dropped any semblance of unfamiliarity with her lightsaber. The time for hiding who we were was over, we were compromised anyway. This was now a matter of survival.

* * *

Cliffhanger, I know, but we'll pick up with the next chapter in two weeks time.

Ciao!


	14. Ghosts of The Fallen Order

Hello everyone! We pick up right where we left off, enjoy!

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XIV.

Ghosts of The Fallen Order.

* * *

I didn't know what was going to happen as the door to this room was melted away, however, what I least expected was for Phanza, who had just a moment earlier been posed and ready to fight, to deactivate her lightsaber and walking over to the door controls. Suddenly, a room full of hardened criminals and a disguised Jedi Padawan was rendered absolutely speechless when Phanza, disguised as Zapnha Tamat, opened the door as the clone troopers were cutting through it their torches, walking over to them with her hands on her hips. The clones, now dressed in utterly bland, utterly white versions of their armor, completely devoid of personality and individuality, seemed just as shocked as we were, having never seen a woman this brazen before. Not only was Zapnha staring down at these clones, but she was so sure of her actions that she looked properly pissed off, as if she had the audacity to, as a mere casino owner, stare down instruments of Palpatine's control and tell them off for damaging her door. Of course, I knew that she was a Sith and had the power to back it up - given that her first reaction was to fight with a lightsaber, I suspected many of these criminals had questions about her, to say the least - but even I thought this act was absolutely shocking, after all, these clones literally just killed thousands of Jedi around the galaxy, including my master and, very nearly, myself. I killed clones to escape Ypherro, I killed more cones than was strictly necessary, now, am I really going to see a Sith Lord get us out of a fight with these clones simply by bluffing? No, there is no way that this could possibly work.

"Excuse me, just what the hell are you doing to my door?" Zapnha asked the clones, getting in his face as the clone with the cutting torch got up, the others legitimately not knowing how to react to her, some kept their guns drawn, others, cautiously, tried pulling their commander back, and a few were honestly too confused to even do anything as the owner of the Star Cluster casino took him to task.

"Civilian, step back and identify yourself." the clone commander ordered, pushing the Nautolan back and raising his blaster. I tried not to flinch as I heard the all too familiar voice and the all too familiar gentle distortion of the helmet, the one I heard so many times before, and the one that betrayed me and the rest of the Jedi because of a few simple words from Chancellor Palpatine, but even if I did, everyone was too focused on Zapnha Tamat and the clones she was arguing with to notice my reaction. It was a strange experience, being in a room full of criminals as enemy clone troopers interrogated a disguised Phanza, what was even stranger is that, somehow, no one has fired off a weapon yet. Sensing that it was safer to do what the clones said, Phanza played along, meanwhile, I cautiously made me way over to her, joining the Nautolan and keeping my hands away from my blasters as some of the clones finally turned their attention over to me. It was hard to tell now in the cold, unpainted armor that they wore, but I may well have served alongside some of these clones during the war, now look where we are.

"I am Zapnha Tamat, the owner of this casino, and the woman wondering why a bunch of bounty hunter lookalikes are trampling over my carpets and burning through my doors - some of these doors are over three thousand years old you know, it's not easy to find replacements!" Phanza ranted to the clones, impressing me with how easily she fell into the roll of this character and, even here, when she was upset with the clones, her natural accent wasn't peaking through. In short, the woman was doing a very good job of playing her part, something which I knew I wasn't as good at, awkwardly trying to appear like a common gunslinger while up against clones and sensing those two oddly familiar presences tearing through the casino, as if they were methodically searching through the casino. In all honesty, it wouldn't surprised me, at all, if they were on the hunt for two Force presences themselves, those being myself and Phanza.

"Explain the lightsaber, quickly." the clone commander ordered, ready to fire. Phanza wasn't a Jedi, the clones likely had a full database of any Jedi known to the Galactic Republic, none of who were red-skinned Nautolan casino owners on Nar Shaddaa, nevertheless, having a lightsaber was still highly suspicious and illegal, so Phanza needed to tread carefully if we were going to get out of this situation alive. I have to assume that's her whole goal with confronting the clones like this, suspecting that the sheer surprise of this and the strength of her disguise would give us a much better chance than trying to fight our way out of here, in fact, if this succeeds, the Star Cluster casino may even survive. There is no chance that Palpatine wouldn't destroy the casino if we did fight, even if we escaped.

"It's a wonderful trophy, really, and it speaks volumes in the criminal underworld. You should get one yourself, I hear the Jedi aren't really maintaining their monopoly on them anymore." Zapnha replied, effortless, even making a morbid joke about the Jedi. I wasn't comfortable with her mocking the genocide of my order, my friends, and my mentors, but I understood that distancing ourselves as much as possible from the Jedi really was going to help us survive this, as unlikely as this seems. In the corner of my eye, I saw two clones glance at each other and lower their guns, seemingly implying that this answer was to their satisfaction, that being said, they were still at attention and would reaction immediately if we gave them a reason to.

"CT-8802, confiscate the lightsaber and her blasters, Lord Vader will deal with these two." the clone commander ordered and another clone came over and took our weapons, which we willingly gave up. The clones then formed a perimeter around us and escorted us over to the man himself, Darth Vader. I was panicking now, because, if I found him familiar, he would find me familiar - as if being Force-sensitive in Palpatine's galaxy wasn't already a death sentence - Phanza was still annoying and heckling the clone troopers to maintain her disguise, chastising them on their dirty boots and making sure her patrons were still able to gamble, receiving silence and the occasional jab from a blaster in response, however, I soon realized that, at the same time, Phanza was contacting me through our mental link.

"_I won't pretend I'm nearly as good at is as Sidious, nor can I keep it going for long, but ever since we found out the truth about him, I've been trying to replicate his ability to disguise himself from the Jedi. It's actually somewhat similar to what Sith Assassins use to remain hidden - " _Phanza started before I mentally interrupted her. The fact that Sith Assassins are so common that there is an archetype for them is concerning enough, as is the fact they can apparently become invisible, however, as fascinating as that conversation could be, now is not the time, nor the place to have it. We're getting closer to Vader and we're running out of time, Phanza's idea working was literally life or die for us now.

"_As interesting as that is, we're running out of time, how do I do it?_" I pressed in response, needing a quick answer. In the distance, behind us, I heard another group of clones entering the room we were just in, likely going to interrogate Dalenda and the other underworld contacts, knowing that they would escape if left unattended for too long - for all we know, some of the more nimble and less obvious ones did manage to slip out between us being escorted out and the other clones arriving - I just hoped that none of them figured out anything too obvious about us, after all, the revelation that Phanza was trained with a lightsaber would definitely warrant Vader's wrath, as if the rest of this situation didn't already.

"_Okay, here's how to do it..._" Phanza explained, I followed along, finding that, while I could still feel Phanza clear as day through our bond and I knew she was there, I stopped being able to sense her, as if her Force-sensitivity decreased to the level of an ordinary person and, a few moments later, Phanza smirked, revealing that I succeeded as well. Not a moment too soon either, because, a mere moment later, we rounded a corner and came face to face with Darth Vader and what appeared to be a Twi'lek woman, armored head to toe, wearing an odd ring-shaped lightsaber at her hip, a very different style from Vader's traditional weapon. Who was this woman then? One of those Inquisitors that Palpatine spoke about? I didn't know, but her presence was definitely familiar, suggesting she was once a Jedi. The clone, CT-8802 handed over our weapons, Vader taking a close look at the lightsaber before igniting it. Between the red and black blade, the unique style, and the context it was in, it was obvious that this wasn't a Jedi weapon, but, if anything, that only gave Vader more questions about us.

"You are Zapnha Tamat, owner of this casino." Vader barked out, more an accusation than a question, and, all the while, his deep, mechanical breathing filled the hall, adding even more to his presence. Not only was Darth Vader massive, not only did he hold a lightsaber, not only did he clearly have powerful cybernetics boosting his raw strength, not only did he have access to the Force in a galaxy purged of the Jedi, but he had that distinctive, bone-chilling breathing, a distinctive characteristic that was only just beginning to affect the galaxy. I was definitely scared, but Phanza didn't seem phased, perhaps her experience with Grand Duchess Voytana numbed her to powerful dark side figures.

"At your service, Lord Vader, welcome to the Star Cluster casino, the finest establishment in the skies above Nar Shaddaa. Your men were rather rude to me and made a bit of a miss, but I'll forgive it, after all, I pride myself on attracting high end clients such as yourself. What can I do for you?" Zapnha asked, behaving as if this was a casual business meeting rather than a tense negotiation, all in an effort to throw the two Imperials off. Surprisingly, Vader legitimately seemed stunned for a moment - an odd image to say the least, the mighty enforcer of Chancellor Palpatine, the mechanical man meant to crush any resistance to the Empire and hunt down the last of the Jedi, was being thrown by, from his perspective, a mere fearless casino owner. The woman, who I suspected was an Inquisitor, wasn't thrown though, but I don't think she heard a word exchanged between Vader and Phanza, because, the whole time, the Twi'lek woman simply stared at me, not saying anything, just looking, as if she was trying to dissect every detail of me face. It was concerning, to say the least.

"...We are here on behalf of the Empire, we sensed two Force-sensitives here, where are they?" Vader demanded, ignoring Phanza's antics and pressing her, closing his hand around her lightsaber as if he was threatening to crush it if Zapnha didn't answer, destroying her precious "trophy" if he didn't get the information that he wanted. The fact that Phanza's cover identity was a Nar Shaddaa elite is likely the only reason we're still alive, because even Palpatine knows that killing the criminal elite on Nar Shaddaa could interfere in his business interests on the planet. No doubt the Hutts, Bounty Hunters' Guild, Exchange, and all the other organizations present will be pressing Palpatine to give them special privileges and dispensation following their interrogation. The information, illegal experiments, and contraband found on Nar Shaddaa is, in some cases, literally only found here, Palpatine doesn't want to lose that, and Vader knows it. That gives Zapnha Tamat a certain amount of safety, but it only goes so far, and Phanza and I are both well aware of that.

"Gambling, I'd hope - Force-sensitives have credits too." Zapnha replied, still taking this whole situation facetiously, but her reply did have an answer within it, suggesting that Lady Tamat didn't know about any Force-sensitives. At the same time, her answer, showing no disdain for Force-sensitives and suggesting that she'd let them gamble in her casino was a slap in the face to the Empire. Phanza was a brilliant woman and, in this alter ego, she was really unleashing an incendiary wit on Vader and this masked Inquisitor. I could almost enjoy this situation if it wasn't dripping with reminders that the Jedi are being hunted down and executed all over the galaxy, with Vader now leading the crusade against my order. Each mechanical breath a reminder that my very own survival in this situation was far from guaranteed, especially given Zapnha Tamat was openly flaunting the fact that she knew the Empire wouldn't just kill her, seeing Nar Shaddaa contacts like her useful. I wonder how much Vader knew about this alter ego - did he connect to spies to Zapnha yet? Did he know about the New Revanites? Either of those things could get both of us killed, even if everything else marked us as innocent. Phanza didn't let us simply rest on that moment, for she continued with pestering Vader "Two Force-sensitives you say? How about we split the prize then, you get one lightsaber, I'll add the other to my collection?"

"You will identify them!" Vader resorted to trying a mind trick, having his hand and using the Force on Zapnha, fortunately, the disguised Sith was smart, and she knew that such mind tricks only worked on the weak-minded. Phanza knew that, even if she wasn't a Force-sensitive, she was more than smart and resilient enough to survive this mental onslaught, thus she made a fool of Vader.

"You will wave your hand around like an idiot." Zapnha mimicked Vader's action and injected false gravitas into her voice. Here, yet again, Phanza was careful to deliberately get the action wrong, as if she really was just trying to copy Vader rather than commit an action she doubtlessly has done before, after all, the lightsaber was curious enough, but Zapnha Tamat knowing the proper motions for a mind trick? That would be a death sentence. Phanza knew what she was doing and she was playing Vader like he was an incompetent fool, but it was still frightening. This was a former Jedi turned cyborg Sith murderer, even if Phanza knew that her cover identity was somewhat safe from the Empire, I couldn't help but cringe at her remarks, wondering which one would push Vader over the edge, which one would lead to Vader snapping and killing us, which remark would lead to Vader inadvertently completing his mission?

"Stop with your games and answer me - where are the Force-sensitives?" Vader demanded, igniting Phanza's lightsaber and prepared to strike Zapnha down with her own weapon if she tried making another joke or embarrassing him yet again. Fortunately, Zapnha was indeed a smart woman and she knew that now was the time to stop joking, she instantly grew quiet and respectful.

"With all due respect, Lord Vader, I don't know about any Force-sensitives within my casino, I was busy attending a meeting with some business partners when, all of a sudden, clones are cutting through my door. You're a Jedi, right? Can't you just sense the Force-sensitives?" Zapnha asked, putting her shadowing technique to the test, hoping that, even face to face, Vader wouldn't pick either of us up as particularly Force-sensitive. I had hope that this would work, but I was also worried, because, even before this, the Twi'lek female Inquisitor was still starring at me, as if she knew me, and, considering we're both very likely former Jedi, there is a high chance she did. The Inquisitor may not need the Force to identify me but, if so, why hasn't she said anything yet?

"They've gotten away." Vader growled after searching through the Force for a few moments, he turned to the female Inquisitor, likely to give her an order, however, that is when he noticed his companion's stare. All of a sudden, Vader's attention turned to me, one former Jedi looking at another, and I tried my very hardest to put up a front of ambivalence, but, in reality, I was terrified, fearing that I was found out. My dread only increased as Vader turned back to Zapnha Tamat and asked a question that could doom the both of us "Who is she?"

"Her? She's my bodyguard, Vyvienne Alzicia, why?" it rolled out of Phanza's mouth nonchalantly, throwing out a false name derived from my actual name, but changed more extensively that even her alias. Vyvienne was derived from my surname of Vyvan, but it sounded completely different and came across differently, and Alzicia wasn't simply an anagram of Zaliza, Phanza put more thought into this pseudonym than her own, and that thought may have just saved us both from Vader recognizing us. In any case, I took good care to note that, making sure our stories would be consistent should the Empire decide to separate us and interrogate us separately, though I do hope things don't come to that. I want to get out of this situation as soon as possible and hopefully get off this planet as quickly as possible, and, in an ideal world, Phanza and the Grand Duchy won't lose control of the Star Cluster casino either.

"Silence. Sister, remain here and search the patrons, I will search the surface myself." Vader ordered, making his subordinate weed out any potential Force-sensitives amongst the gamblers and guests here, meanwhile, Vader himself was going to search the slums of Nar Shaddaa, suspecting that the potential Jedi disappeared into the crime ridden streets of the smuggler's moon. I mentally breathed a sigh of relief, the Inquisitor was dangerous enough, but the combined onslaught of Vader, the Inquisitor, and their clones? That would be deadly, even with Phanza's power and the surprise of us both having the Force, we wouldn't stand a chance. My sigh of relief was short-lived, because Phanza decided to push her luck.

"Can I have my trophy back then?" Zapnha asked, trying to get her lightsaber back. I watched Vader as, instead of speaking, he took a two-handed grip on her still ignited lightsaber, raising the curved hilt blade high above his head, and I flinched as he brought it down. Zapnha Tamat, however, did not, and, just before her head, the blade stopped - for a moment I feared that Phanza used the Force, but that wasn't it, Vader himself stopped - I realized that Zapnha, feeling invincible, called Vader's bluff, and, all of a sudden, the lightsaber deactivated and Vader wordlessly dropped the weapon for Phanza to catch it. The Dark Lord of the Sith stomped off to hunt the Jedi, not wanting to speak with the casino owner any longer, not wanting to hear her sharp tongue tormenting him when he didn't even have his usual privilege of executing Phanza for her insolence - what does it say about Palpatine and his Empire that an underworld contact is safer from their wrath than the actual clones and officers in the Imperial Army? In any case, having her lightsaber back, Phanza and I turned around and left, trying to get away from the endless stare of the Inquisitor, the one who Vader called Sister - was that a callsign of some sort? A naming scheme? I wasn't sure, not yet anyway.

"_Vader slipped a tracker on my lightsaber, he's not really leaving. I can't just destroy the tracker or he'll come back and hunt us down, fortunately, I have a better idea - a wild goose chase._" Phanza explained through our mental link, gently prying the little tracker off of her lightsaber and dropping it on one of the circular cleaning bots - similar to the ones at Castle Attam, but not exactly the same, after all, despite her cover identity being a mere anagram for her name, Phanza was rather careful about the details, the cleaning bots at the Star Cluster were likely designed here on Nar Shaddaa, far away from the ones on Taaszon - I watched the tracker magnetize to the cleaning bot, watching it disappear into a gap in the wall and continue through the Star Cluster casino. Looking around, these little wall gaps were all over the casino, likely linked to a miniature network of access tunnels, allowing the cleaning bots to get anywhere and everywhere in the Star Cluster with rapid speed. It was a highly efficient and useful system, and it would also confound the Imperial forces tracking us.

"_Are we going to the ship then? Staying any longer will just risk us being compromised and the Empire taking your casino._" I replied, showing just how tense I felt. I didn't believe in disguise, I was terrified of Vader, and that Twi'lek Inquisitor, the Sister, definitely at least suspects me. As far as I'm concerned, remaining here is extremely dangerous and we need to get out of here as soon as possible. We want information on Vader, yes, but Palpatine's apprentice is clearly one step ahead of us, and staying here any longer is a risk we can't afford to take. We can't remain blind to the Empire, I understand that, believe me, I know that Taaszon doesn't stand a chance against Palpatine without all the spies and subterfuge we can get, but there is nothing more that we can do here. We'll have to wait for another day, another time, another opportunity, one that may not even come. I don't want to admit this, I really, really don't, but just in the speed that Vader and the Inquisitor shut us down today, before they even knew what we were here to discuss, simply based on us both being Force-sensitive, suggests that we may be completely outmatched. How are we supposed to spy on the Empire when Palpatine and Vader clearly have superior spies at their disposal? This whole struggle just might be pointless, maybe Palpatine has truly done it, maybe he's unstoppable, how could we possibly stand a chance here?

"_Not yet, there are some thing we need to get out of here if the Empire is going to be snooping around._" Phanza replied and I sighed, acknowledging she was right but still feeling uncomfortable in this situation. I wasn't quite sure what Phanza needed to retrieve, but I suspect it was something that could link the Star Cluster to either Taaszon or to the ancient Sith, either one could bring Palpatine's wrath down on this particular property on Nar Shaddaa. I followed Zapnha Tamat as she led me down a circuitous route through the Star Cluster, likely trying to shake off any Imperial surveillance, ending up in a corridor leading towards, below the main gambling floor of the casino. I followed the disguised Sith Lord as we entered a part of the casino that truly did look nearly four thousand years old, the lower maintenance sections not requiring the modern glitz and glamour of the publicly accessible parts of the establishment, here, it was just the old metal infrastructure working all the functions below, maintained by both the little cleaning droids and larger, more advanced units, doing whatever was required. In the relative safety of this basement section, Phanza finally felt safe speaking openly, even dropping her Zapnha accent.

"We're going to access the vault from behind and remove the virtual deed - it's encrypted, but if the Empire was to access it, they would know that the Star Cluster was still owned by the Sith, we cannot allow that. The Empire already knows about our outlying systems and they are already unknowingly cracking down on our activities within the galaxy, the last thing we need is for them to find evidence that we're the ones responsible. As long as we don't make Palpatine take an interest in us, we're just a problem he has to deal with eventually." Phanza explained, showing that her priority was to maximize the amount of time before the Empire attacked Taaszon, which again, was an understandable goal, but I wasn't sure if it was achievable. Once again, Vader's presence here was proof that the Empire is clearly capable of finding and tracking us in a time we're just not able to cope with, but...on the other hand, delaying the seemingly inevitable Imperial invasion of Taaszon was obviously desirable, and I could think of some things we could do to achieve this goal, though again, I wasn't sure it was possible now that Palpatine had Vader and the Inquisitors in his arsenal.

Propping up resistance movements would mean that Palpatine would be preoccupied with securing the galaxy - that was, obviously, his primary goal at the moment - and there was also a massive population of deactivated battle droids throughout the galaxy. Now, in retrospect, the battle droids were deliberately designed to be inferior to the clones, however, a great number of separatist battle droids and the infrastructure to wield them effectively could still prove to be a time-consuming nuisance to Palpatine's Empire, if we were able to gain control of such a population of droids. We could also interfere with the Empire's ability to wage war, destroying starships, cloning facilities on Kamino, and potentially, even resorting to such unsavory and un-Jedi like tactics as assassination, however, the latter would be more difficult to do without exposing ourselves, as who else would be attacking military resources aimed at Taaszon? Well, I suppose we could also attack military resources elsewhere, forcing Palpatine to redirect resources from a potential invasion of Taaszon and to maintaining his hold over the galaxy, but can we really destroy Imperial war resources faster than the Empire can produce them? I didn't think so, especially given Palpatine now has all the resources of the Republic, the separatists, and the approval of a Senate made up of pacified, terrified would-be dissenters and corrupt loyalists to Palpatine. There was nothing stopping Palpatine from using all his resources to fund a massive war machine.

"Hey - I know now isn't the best time to talk, but don't get stuck in your own head. You can't be the Jedi you need to be or the Sith you could be all by yourself, everyone needs friends." Phanza stopped and squeezed my shoulder, the Nautolan knew we were in a rush, but she did care about me, and despite everything, I did appreciate that. The Sith Lord also reminded me of my options, another interesting thing, rather than being a typical Sith Lord and trying to coerce me, she was giving me options and letting me choose if I want to try and rebuild the Jedi or if I want to follow her philosophy. Phanza Attam doesn't want to make me a Sith, she would like me to willingly become a Sith, and I loved that about her, as strange as that was to say. I may be living in exile, but I had more freedom and more choice with Phanza than I did under the Jedi. In any case, I could appreciate Phanza later, for now, we needed to move, and as we moved through these old, labyrinthine corridors towards the rear of the vault, she told me about her own support network "Ruumshi, Avoine, Ceyla, even HK, they're more than just companions and bodyguards, they're my trusted friends and allies. Even Grand Duchess Voytana, as unwelcoming as she may seem, is a part of my support network and, as my master, she's part of who I am today. No one is strong enough to function entirely alone, even Palpatine has Vader now."

"I'm not sure if I could ever imagine Palpatine and Vader being close, but I understand what you're saying, and I know it's true." I replied, I couldn't help but think back on my own relationship with Ullara, how influential she was to me, and how she kept my Force lightning a secret when, in reality, the Jedi truly could have punished or even killed me out of hear that I'd become a Sith, simply because of my species. I didn't really have the chance to think about just what this theoretical judgement of the now dead Jedi Council would mean before Phanza and I rounded a corner and entered a modern looking, maintained corridor, with a scanner above a small door, one which was hidden on the other side. I watched, silently yet curiously, as it scanned Zapnha Tamat and the door slid open - merely a wall from the casino's vault on the other side - and we were confronted with the diverse contents of the Star Cluster casino vault. Credits, both physical and on chips, hundreds of different alien currencies, various goods and valuables that individuals placed on a gambling table, and miscellaneous other gains - including what appeared to be a solid gold sabacc deck of all things - but, the centerpiece of this vault was the deed. It was digital, but the master copy was stored on the ancient hard drive occupying a pedestal at the rear of the vault. I watched as Phanza retrieved the proof of ownership, denying the Empire the chance of discovering who truly owns the Star Cluster casino and linking this place to the Sith Order and, potentially, to Taaszon itself.

A victory then, we saved ourselves and could now escape. We didn't have the information we wanted on Vader, but we lived to fight another day, and that, I felt, was more important than any piece of information. This brief period of being one step ahead of the Empire, however, didn't last long as, all of a sudden, cutting torches appeared yet again, cutting into the vault. Phanza could have confronted them yet again, defending her vault, but it wasn't important now, securing this information was our priority, so, before the Imperials could breach the vault, Phanza and I slipped out through the secret exit, now trying to make our way back to the _Chancellery_, trying to avoid Vader and the Inquisitor on our way.

Thus, Zapnha Tamat and I snuck through her own casino, quickly escaping the basement and then winding through the gambling floor, trying to avoid the searching clones, the Inquisitor, and, especially, Vader, should he return, as Phanza expected. Not even two hours ago, Zapnha Tamat and I confidently strolled through these corridors, coming to learn about Vader, instead, here we were, trying to sneak around Vader's troops and feeling like criminals within her own property. This mission was a catastrophic failure and now, rather than getting information on Palpatine's Empire and his new apprentice, we were trying to keep information away from them, we wanted to equalize the situation, instead, we were even further on the back foot. I didn't exactly have the chance to think about us being outmaneuvered by the Imperials, because, all of a sudden, we entered the main lobby, seeing it crawling with Imperials, and there was no other way for us to get to the _Chancellery_. I wanted to ask Phanza what we were going to do, but the Nautolan already had an idea, heading up the stairs to the second story platform over the lobby, trying to literally go over the bulk of the Imperial force.

There were some Imperials up here as well, the blank, white, sanitized uniforms of the clones patrolling the platform, however, Phanza and I pressed a button on her gauntlet and, suddenly, from the sides of the room, giant sanitation droids came out, trying to clean the lobby as the clones grew confused, trying to maintain order - fortunately for us, the Imperials never actually shut down the Star Cluster casino and, as far as they knew, this was ordinary procedure, thus, with the clones on the upper platform distracted, Phanza and I made our way back down on the other end of the lobby, almost free. Quickly, but not too quickly, Phanza led me to the left of the wall dividing up the casino entrance and then we left the casino, coming out onto the landing platform, free of the clones inside, and seeing the _Chancellery_ out there, so close to escaping, so close to retreating back to the relative safety of Taaszon. There was, however, an obstacle, because there was a black armored figure standing right in front of our ship, skintight black suit, ring lightsaber at her hip, and a helmet over her head, opaque black glass blending into the black armor, plates descending all the way down her lekku, ending in deadly sharp spikes.

"Hello there, need a lift?" Zapnha asked, falling into character, instantly being facetious, spitting in the face of authority. The Inquisitor was, however, not focused on the Nautolan whatsoever, once again, the Twi'lek was looking at me, I could tell even with her visor, that every fiber of her being was completely and utterly focused on me. In this moment, I tried to remember if I had the mask still up, if I was still hiding my Force-sensitivity, but, honestly, I couldn't tell if I was masking myself or not, nor could I feel if Phanza was, right now, I was completely distracted with just how familiar this Twi'lek felt in the Force. I definitely knew who she was, but who exactly was it? There were a number of Twi'lek female Jedi, such as Aayla Secura, who fought with Master Avdune and I on Felucia, even stepping in to replace the 1204th when we returned to Coruscant, beginning the journey that brought Phanza and I together, but...Felucia was rough. All those clones and the separatists right there...I didn't think that Master Secura could have survived. There were a number of younger Twi'lek Padawans as well, but the only one I was particularly close with was Thonna Ai'sunn, but...no, she couldn't have survived Order 66 and, even if she did, even if she somehow survived everything, this couldn't be her, she wouldn't do this. This was somebody else, but who else would have so much interest in me?

"You, get out of here, my interest is with the bodyguard." the Inquisitor spoke, her voice was mechanically distorted, but I knew the voice I heard there. The voice I last heard after we captured Exiim Abarghe, the voice of the woman saved from a tragic pass, the woman who comforted me after I used Force Lightning against the drexl on Dxun. I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it, but it made too much sense. Thonna and her master, Towaan, were the Jedi ambassadors to the Hutts, they operated in diplomacy, often without clones, her death wasn't a guarantee by any means. I was so sure she was dead though - why? Well...perhaps I wanted her to be dead, perhaps it was easier for me to think that my friend was dead than living in a galaxy dominated by Palpatine. Maybe this is why, maybe because now I have to see my friend turned into a weapon in Palpatine's arsenal.

"Becoming separated from my bodyguard isn't exactly the smartest move for someone in my position." Phanza countered, the Nautolan didn't have the full context, but she knew me well enough to know that something was wrong and she could sense my emotional turmoil, the Sith Lord didn't want to leave me alone with this Inquisitor, showing genuine concern for my safety that seemed so odd, so out of place in a Sith Lord, but that's just who Phanza was. I needed to do something though, I had no idea what I was going to do or how it was going to work, but I had to speak to Thonna, I had to figure out how this happened and what I could do to try and fix this. Of course, I had no clue how I could do this, but I still felt the need to try, I wanted to help her.

"_Get on the ship and wait for me Phanza, I know who she is_." I told Phanza through the mental link, hoping that she would go. Zapnha Tamat faced me, concerned, but she listened to me, walking away with the virtual deed. There was a small action before she left though, using the Force to levitate her lightsaber behind my back, making sure that I had a weapon in case things went wrong. I was used to fighting with a double-bladed lightsaber while Phanza's curved-hilt lightsaber was dialed in for the Makashi form, nevertheless, I would rather have a lightsaber than nothing, a weapon was a weapon, after all. In any case, we stared at each other as Phanza walked off, getting into the ship - I wouldn't put it past her to get on a hidden turret and train it on the Inquisitor's back if she tried anything - and anyone else would've thought we stood there in silence. The truth was far different, my heart was racing, beating so fast I could hear it, my first interaction with a Jedi since Order 66 and it was my friend turned into an Inquisitor, an instrument of the Dark Side, how did this happen?

"How did you survive?" Thonna asked first, a pleading hint to her voice. That gave me hope, maybe she didn't truly believe in Palpatine and his horrible cause, maybe she simply became an Inquisitor because she saw it as the only way to survive, and now, she was being confronted with evidence of another way. Not all that different, I suppose, but, for better or worse, I had to admit that Phanza and even Voytana were much less evil, much less destructive, that Palpatine and, from what little I've seen of him, Vader. If Thonna was still good, there was hope for my friend, this didn't need to be a tragedy.

"I almost didn't. Our clones betrayed us on Ypherro and Master Avdune sacrificed herself to let me escape the planet." I answered, both of us sharing a moment of silence for my deceased master. This was another good sign, she still had a connection to Ullara and to the old Jedi, Thonna wasn't entirely corrupted and absorbed by Imperial propaganda, she could be saved. Motivated by these good signs, I continued "After that, I got R9 and my starfighter, escaping to Imperius Prime. I've been living with Phanza ever since, hidden from the Empire outside of known space. The only reason we were here on Nar Shaddaa to begin with is because we were trying to figure out who Vader was."

"No - Zaliza, you can't go digging into Palpatine and Vader, they will catch you and they will kill you!" Thonna almost panicked, stressing just how miserable the situation was, her warning echoing my own suspicions of this line of inquiry.

"Thonna..." I tried to reply but she instantly interrupted me again, her mask still distorting her beautiful voice into this menacing, mechanical mess that I knew didn't belong with the Twi'lek, but it didn't seem that she had much of a say in the matter whatsoever.

"You can't use that name Zaliza, I can't have that name anymore. I'm the Third Sister now." Thonna answered, revealing her full title - the Third Sister, much like the clones, this was entirely devoid of individuality or agency, just a numbered name, implying that these Inquisitors were just disposable pawns in Palpatine's galactic game. Thonna won't be the last Third Sister, honestly, depending on how risky the Inquisitors' missions have been so far and how rigorous their training has been, she may not even be the first Third Sister, but she certainly hasn't been Thonna Ai'sunn since Order 66.

"Thonna, you can't let them take your name from you, use your power for evil, and throw you away when they don't need you anymore, there is another way. Please, come with us, let us help you." I tried to plead with her, probably too soon, but I didn't know what else I could do, and I knew that time was against us. If Vader or even just some clones arrived on this landing pad, Thonna would need to play the role of the Third Sister Inquisitor and fight me, that's a fight I didn't want, a fight that I couldn't bear to fight against someone who I considered a dear friend not very long ago at all.

"I told you, it's the Third Sister." Thonna replied, I could almost feel like cringing under her mask, as if she didn't want to argue this point but felt she had to...what did the Empire do to her? I wanted to argue against the whole situation, but before I could, the Third Sister continued, this wasn't Thonna speaking anymore, this was the power that the Empire had over her "I can't do that Zaliza, I shouldn't even be letting you leave here. I'm taking enough of a risk as it is, so please, get out of here, leave Nar Shaddaa before Vader discovers you. I will try and lie on your behalf."

It broke my heart to hear this, to hear this woman, the woman who just barely managed to avoid being enslaved by the Hutts thanks to Master Towaan, now reduced to a slave of the Empire, an instrument for Palpatine to hunt down any Jedi stragglers as he consolidates his hold of the whole galaxy, I thought that the Empire killed Thonna Ai'sunn, but the truth is far worse, they turned her into a weapon against her will. She was, however, risking all of that to try and save Phanza and I, putting her neck on the line to allow us to escape, and I knew I had to accept this. Staying here would only lead to all three of us being killed, Phanza and I for being enemies of the regime, and Thonna for not killing us already. I couldn't just leave like that though, I needed something, I needed a reason to keep hope for her, something that would let me save her next time we meet.

"Let me see your face." I replied, somewhat forcefully. I needed this, I needed to know that all of this was real, that I was about to fight for something real. Thonna tried to object but I was having none of it, so, finally, she acquiesced. I watched as the black visor retracted, revealing the violet face of my friend, but...it wasn't the same anymore. Her eyes were a sickly orange, twisted by the Dark Side and, in those orbs, I saw pain, suffering, and fear, all the things that Master Yoda warned about, and all of the things that Palpatine drilled into Thonna and the other Inquisitors. Her skin was paler as well, like a graying lavender, it looked like the very life was being sapped from her and, based on what little I've heard about her life as an Inquisitor, that didn't seem all that far from the truth. Her face bore the scars of Palpatine's machinations, but that only motivated me more, because I knew what that face was, what the face should be, and what that face could be again. I took a deep breath and shared one last moment with the Inquisitor before boarding the ship "Thank you, my friend."

"Just...stay alive, please." Thonna told me, a ghostly whisper in the wind just before her mask slid back on, the last genuine words that she would say for a long time. Phanza and I would escape but, for now, Thonna was doomed to continue being the Third Sister, continue hunting down Jedi and...and even killing them. I'm sure that she wanted to spare everyone she came across, but she couldn't, she needed to keep up appearances to stay alive, she needed to do as Vader and the Emperor commanded, but it didn't have to always be this way. One day, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the day after, but one day, Phanza and I will find a way to save Thonna from the Empire, that, in every fiber of my being, is a promise.

* * *

I changed back into my robes and secured my double-bladed lightsaber at my hip, needing the familiar safety of the weapon and reminder of my Jedi past after everything that happened on Nar Shaddaa. In the other room, Phanza sat at her vanity table and washed the red makeup off of her head tails, exposing her tattoos once more, becoming herself again. It was silent other than the slight buzz of the ship's functions and the smallest of sounds coming from Phanza as she delicately and meticulously did her work, neither of us wanting to break it with an admission of our failure. Failure, that's what it was, what else could we describe it as? We came to learn about Vader, instead, all the underworld contacts we spoke to were arrested - and news travels fast in the criminal underground, no one will be wanting to talk about the Empire now, his attention is clearly bad for business - we knew nothing more about Darth Vader, and now I had to live with the knowledge that Thonna Ai'sunn is not only alive, but forced to work for the Empire.

I was already lucky to be alive, but now I felt even more guilty. I'm living in a damn palace on a planet the Empire doesn't even know about while Thonna Ai'sunn and other former Jedi are being brainwashed into pawns and murderers by the Empire, that's on top of the people who are being forced to live under Palpatine's new autocracy and the clones who are literally mind controlled by Palpatine somehow. People are suffering, clones are suffering, and former Jedi are suffering, and all I have to show for it is wallowing in my own misery on Taaszon making hollow overtures about how I'll rebuild the Jedi to avenge Ullara. How can I rebuild the Jedi when I can't even identify a former Jedi in a helmet or save my best friend from the clutches of the Empire? Failure doesn't just describe our mission, it describes my whole life at this moment, a stupid, scared little girl alone in a harsh and hostile galaxy.

"You're not alone." I rose my head and found Phanza, free of her makeup and changed into a light, purple silk leisure robe, standing in my doorway. Once again, I forgot about the mental link between Phanza and I, forgetting that, in times of distress or emotional turmoil, I was practically broadcasting my thoughts to the Nautolan Sith. This was yet another thing that represented my uselessness, I had a Force bond with a Sith Lord and, rather than actually figuring out why or how it exists and how I can sever it, I can barely be trusted to remember it. Perhaps even worse than that, when I do remember the Force bond with Phanza, I find myself wanting it, I find myself wanting to be closer to this fascinating woman, forgiving the fact she's a Sith.

"I am though, I'm the last Jedi in the galaxy." I lamented, wanting to vent my emotions, telling Phanza about what I experienced on the landing pad once I asked her to leave the two of us alone "Anyone else who survived is either an Inquisitor or going to be killed by an Inquisitor. I thought Thonna was dead, or maybe I just wanted her to be, instead, she's an Inquisitor. She's the Third Sister, and I have no idea how we can possibly save her from he Empire. I want to save her, I need to at least try, but what will Palpatine do to her if I fail? What if I get my best friend killed by trying to save her?"

"You won't fail and you're not alone. I'm helping you Zaliza, and I want to be there for you. We're linked in the Force, when you're hurt, when you're sad, when you're upset, I feel that, and it breaks my heart." Phanza revealed, bringing up the extent of the Force Bond. Perhaps she was stronger in the Force than I was, or perhaps, considering she was likely exploring the Force Bond while I was trying to repress it as a Jedi, she's simply more aware of the connection than I am, but either way, she's more affected by it than I am, and I haven't been considering that nearly as much as I should. Phanza must have felt the guilt flow through me as she sat down on my bed, next to me, and continued "I'm sorry about all of his, you know. I had some suspicions about Palpatine from the moment I met him, but I was never sure. I tried to clue you into my suspicions or, later on, even my evidence that he was more than he appeared, but I never got to he point where I thought that he was a Sith, I couldn't have imagined anything of this scale."

"I don't blame you Phanza, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me Palpatine was a Sith Lord, I didn't even realize until I saw the droids deactivated on Ypherro. At that point, I knew that Palpatine and the Sith Lord behind Count Dooku and the separatists were one in the same." I replied, none of us could have predicted the full truth, but we should have been more suspicious of Palpatine. The man seized too much power, he served too many terms, and his political maneuvers were always too convenient, unfortunately, the evidence came together far too late.

"Palpatine has the galaxy in his trap right now, but it won't last forever. There are those who will fight, there are Jedi who will evade the Inquisitors, and there is the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, and we will stand against the Empire. I don't know when we'll get he chance to save your friend, but, sooner rather than later, she will be on a mission without Vader, without other Inquisitors, and, at that point, we will do everything we can to save her." the Nautolan explained, detailing a sensible scenario where we could free Thonna of the Empire. I released a shaky breath, appreciating the fact that she had some kind of answer, some kind of idea for me. I felt her arm wrap around me and we sunk down onto my little bed together, both of us needing some comfort after today's events. I saw a ghost from my past and Phanza nearly lost her Casino to Darth Vader himself.

"Thank you, for everything." I mumbled before falling asleep, feeling more secure with the Nautolan than I had in a very long time. I really was grateful for everything she did for me, if it wasn't for Phanza, I would have just ran from Ypherro, running until I was killed or worse, made into an Inquisitor like Thonna was. The last thing I wanted was to be forced to hunt down my fellow Jedi, that would be a terrible fate.

* * *

Alright, that was quite the chapter. Now, I admit that I did you guys a little dirty here, I built up these last two chapters like they would be focused on Vader, and, while yes, Vader will play a role in this story, we know what happens to him, it's the original trilogy. Thonna, however, is my OC and she's the real Ghost of The Fallen Order mentioned in the chapter title, not Anakin Skywalker. This story has been OC heavy and will continue being OC heavy, and that's mostly to give me freedom with the characters while remaining basically canon-compliant.

In any case, ciao everyone!


	15. The Plight of The Survivors

Hello everyone! It's time for chapter fifteen and, speaking of fifteen. Act two is going to be longer than act one, I'm thinking at least fifteen chapters. I'm trying to move more slowly with act two, contrasting the rapid action of the Clone Wars with the tension of the galaxy under Palpatine. I was quick with the revelation that Palpatine is Sidious and well, I kind of had to be, after all, we all know that and I already milked the dramatic irony for all of act one, but I kind of want to slowly pepper in the lore of both Taaszon and the Empire from here on out. In any case, act two is going to be longer than act one, however, I am still going to finish it before this story goes on hiatus, if this story goes on hiatus again, that is. So yes, that's the pacing and business announcements for today, here's chapter fifteen. We pick up with Zaliza after she and Phanza return to Castle Attam.

Potentially triggering chapter by the way, Zaliza is really depressed here and she can sound a bit suicidal at times.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XV.

The Plight of The Survivors.

* * *

I had wanted to actively pursue reforming the Jedi and learning about Phanza's philosophy during my time on Taaszon, sick of being so idle, so useless after Order 66. That was before Nar Shaddaa though, finding out that the Inquisitors were survivors of Order 66 forced to serve the Empire...that broke me. I suppose I should have taken that as a motivator, accentuating how unique and privileged my position was - I could actually do something to rebuild the Jedi when no one else could - or, even just personally, giving me someone worth fighting for, but I just couldn't do it. Ullara was dead, I've killed maybe a dozen clones, including ones who I considered close allies and even friends, and now, on top of all that, my best friend was turned into a tool of the Dark Side. How am I supposed to keep going? The only person who believes in me at this stage is a Sith Lord, and, while I'm thankful for everything that Phanza has done for me, it just isn't enough.

The whole galaxy has fallen and I don't know why I'm still alive, I don't even know if I want to be at this stage. Phanza promised to help me save Thonna Ai'sunn when the opportunity presents itself, but how are we even going to do that? She doesn't have hope, she's been crushed by Palpatine, how can I convince her to resist and fight when, at this stage, I can barely resist and fight? I was tired, I was exhausted, and I was defeated.

Thus, I found myself sat in my bedroom in Castle Attam. It was a room entirely too large and luxurious for a Jedi, it was a place that I didn't deserve, and I was completely apathetic about it. I didn't resist as my lifestyle became less and less like the Jedi with every passing day. I didn't live off of rations anymore, once or twice a day I would simply go to one of the kitchens in the palace and prepare myself a meal, helper droids doing anything I couldn't do myself. I didn't maintain and mend my own robes anymore - in fact, today, I was wearing a black, red, and silver robe I haven't even touched before - the droids did that too. The biggest mark against me, showing how far I've strayed from Jedi life, was that I was even falling out of practice.

For all the time that Phanza trained with her bodyguards or meditated, I wasn't doing any of that. I didn't want to train or tap into the Force, I was afraid of being reminded of the Jedi Order. I was scared of having to think about all the Jedi I trained alongside, about the younglings who came through the ranks after me, and the masters who taught us, I couldn't bare to think that every one of them was dead, if not worse. Chief among them, of course, was Master Avdune. All the times we trained together, all the times that we fought together...if I so much as did a maneuver I learned from her I would be instantly reminded of how my master sacrificed herself for me. Why did she have to do that? Now I have to live with the memories, the guilt, the terrible feeling that every moment that I'm alive is a waste. It was a brutal cycle, because with every moment I did nothing, I was reminded of the fact that Ullara died so I could sit here wallowing in misery, but that realization would only make me more miserable, more inactive, more pathetic.

That brought up another thing, mainly, what happened before the sacrifice. Why did Ullara kiss me before she sacrificed herself? The pragmatic option was to say it was just to surprise me so she could shut me up and Force Push me away, making sure I got away before we were both overwhelmed by clones, but the real explanation was better than that, even I knew that. I don't exactly have anything to compare it to, but there was meaning behind that kiss, at least I would like to think there was, and the fact that I was now left with this mystery only made me miss Ullara even more. My Master told me about the Pantoran girl, so I knew she was attracted to women and that she had historically struggled with that part of the Jedi lifestyle, but she seemed past that. As far as I could tell, there was no hint that Ullara was attracted to me in any way, no hint that I picked up upon anyway. The kiss just came out of nowhere from my perspective.

I sighed and dug the old Republic holocommunicator out of my robe, one of the few leftover relics of my time as a Jedi. I didn't dare make a call to anyone, least of all people who I expected could have survived - the Empire and the Inquisitors would no doubt catch any holocom activity on the old Republic lines - but I did do one thing. I pulled up an old head-to-toe image of Master Avdune. The blue holographic form of the Mirialan appeared before me, dressed in her usual robes, elegant with her lightsaber at the hip. Ullara was the ideal Jedi - young, talented, an excellent duelist in a time of war, and a calm and compassionate person at the same time. She was beautiful too, but modest. No offense to Master Secura - the last thing I want to do is insult a dead Jedi who I knew - but she showed off her beauty and her looks, Ullara never did, she never had to. I looked longingly at the hologram, missing my master, missing my old life, and, in the corner of the room, I heard a long, sad whine from R9...his way of mourning I suppose. I called the droid over and wrapped my arm around his metal dome, the closest thing I could give to a hug right now. He was cold, metal, and couldn't speak, but that didn't really matter, he was something.

"I miss her too buddy, I miss her too." I whispered to the droid, getting a series of beeps in reply. They sounded comforting, for what it's worth, but this wasn't real companionship either. Phanza could speak to me and promise to do everything she can to make things better and R9 may have experienced a lot of what I experienced at the end of the war, but neither of them really understood what I was going through. I knew that Phanza was absolutely right about a lot of the things she said about the Jedi and the Republic, but that doesn't mean it's what I want to hear right now. I know the Jedi are flawed, I know that the Republic fell perfectly into Palpatine's trap, but right now, I need reassurance, i need support.

* * *

Phanza finally pressured me to leave my room later that day, calling me to the library. I figured that Phanza sensed my emotional melancholy this morning and has been trying to figure out a way to help me feel better. Evidently, the Nautolan woman realized that her words of encouragement and affection, while nice and appreciated, weren't enough, so she was changing tactics. I wasn't sure that whatever Phanza had planned would work, but I was welcome for a distraction, anything to get me out of my own head for a little while. That being said, I didn't want just any distraction - the last thing I wanted right now was to go out on a mission again, not wanting to face the Empire again so soon, especially not if Thonna Ai'sunn appeared once again as the Third Sister. I wanted to help Thonna and save her from the Empire, but I didn't have a way of helping her right now, not having any solution, so, if I saw her again now, it would only be painful for the both of us. Honestly, even if I did have a solution, it would be painful - it's not going to be easier to help Thonna get over whatever Sidious did to her. If I was in this state, I could only imagine how awful it must be to be Thonna right now, the woman must be suffering.

I shook my head, regretting the situation around the poor girl, but also knowing that I couldn't do anything quite yet. I needed time, I needed an opportunity, and I needed a plan, but, right now, I had none of that. I momentarily cleared my brain of these thoughts and found Phanza on the second floor of the library, sat at a desk reading an actual paper book, written in an ancient Sith alphabet. The old Sith language was highly illegal in the Republic, a relic of the same unfortunate era when planets like Korriban were purged, and I have to wonder just how much literature and philosophy was lost thanks to these laws. Perhaps, had the galaxy been more aware of the Sith and their ways, we could have identified the pretenders long before Palpatine took over the Republic. I do have to admit I'm biased because of my time with Phanza, but, I have to wonder, is Phanza that much of an outlier? I'm sure the majority of Sith are the awful, evil types, in the vein of Palpatine - though I would guess that Palpatine is uniquely and particularly evil - but just how rare is Phanza's type of Sith? Is it just her? I didn't think so. A small faction perhaps, maybe even a good percentage of Sith, after all, something had to have influenced Lady Attam.

"Hello Phanza," I greeted, gently. I watched her black eyes quickly scan through the rest of the sentence before raising her head and facing me, a soft smile on her face, making for an interesting image. Phanza was an unabashed Sith, wearing tattoos on her head tails up to the edges of her face that marked her as part of a notable line of Sith masters and apprentices, and her own species contributed to the evil look. Her skin was a blood red - granted, my own skin was a similar shade, so I couldn't exactly judge - and she had big black eyes, but that just spelled out the enigma that was Phanza Attam. By all appearances, she was a typical Sith, and she made no secret of her allegiance or the fact that she liberally used the Dark Side, and yet, time and time again, the woman was acted I would never expect the Sith to behave. The woman cares about me, she's compassionate, knowledgeable, and merciful - she didn't kill a single clone trooper on Nar Shaddaa, finding a peaceful solution when even I thought it was impossible - and, while she is, no doubt, brutally efficient against her enemies, she is wonderful to her allies.

"Hi Zaliza, I wanted to teach you something." Phanza announced, moving over in her seat to give me room. I sat down next to her and looked at the book, obviously not able to read anything, but, well, I figured that was the point. I watched as Phanza turned back a few pages and began speaking again, gently proposing an idea to me, offering me a distraction "I was looking through my archives and I found, of all things, an ancient Sith textbook. I figured that, if you were willing, we could take a look at it and try to explore some of your people's culture. It's an archaic form of the language, I admit, but I've read ahead already and I think I could do a pretty good job teaching you, if that's a thing that you would want to do."

"Phanza, I...look, I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to learn the ancient Sith language." I replied, not wanting to offend Phanza, certainly not, but, on the other hand, I didn't want to learn this language, I still felt the Jedi stigma against the Sith to an extent. To actually go and learn the old Sith tongue, that felt like a step too far, that felt like an admission that I was falling more and more under the influence of Phanza Attam and the Taaszon Sith. Actually going and learning the forbidden language of the Sith was too taboo to turn around and still be a Jedi, at least, that's what I thought. From a purely academic perspective, it would be a nice experience and I don't exactly have anything better to do, but I couldn't just get past the moral stigma around the language. I knew it was a foolish reason but, remembering back to this morning when I looked at Ullara's image, I just couldn't fathom telling Ullara that, only a few weeks after her sacrifice, I would be learning the Sith language. I know I shouldn't be judgmental here, but I had to be, if I wanted to remain a Jedi, I needed to make a stand somewhere. As odd and insignificant as it may seem, this is where I want to make my stand.

"Zaliza, being a Sith does not automatically make you a bad person. No one is going to be mad at you if you learn the Sith language, it's not going to make you any less of a Jedi. If you don't want to do it, that's fine, but I don't want you to say no for the wrong reason. For better or worse, this is the language of your ancestors, the language of my predecessors." Phanza replied, still gentle, still calm, but pushing against me. I'm a Jedi, I've thought in battles, I've destroyed droids and killed people, I shouldn't have felt so affected by a mere disagreement, but I felt my breath hitch and I felt involuntary tears coming to my eyes. I looked away and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I didn't react like this in the face of crime lords and Darth Vader himself on Nar Shaddaa, why am I reacting like this now? I'm safe, I'm in a good place, I'm with a person I trust and appreciate, what is wrong with me right now? I tried to shut down my feelings but I felt the pathetic sobs splitting out and I felt Phanza wrap her arms around me, trying to calm me down, trying to guide me through this reaction.

"I - I just...I need...I need to breath," I spit out in between shaky breaths, standing up and taking a few steps away from the Nautolan. Phanza stood up as well but she kept her distance, a concerned expression on her face. That was odd, even with how good I knew Phanza could be, she still was a Sith, wasn't she supposed to hate the weak? Wasn't Phanza supposed to judge me for this, calling me a ruined mess of a Jedi? I didn't understand it, I didn't understand her. I didn't want to be a Sith, I didn't want to stop being a Jedi, and I didn't want to allow the Grand Duchy of Taaszon to take over the galaxy if the Empire actually fell, but, despite all that, and despite all my flaws, Phanza never spoke ill of me. Even as she criticized, dehumanized, and belittled things around me, she never actually attacked me. I could dismiss that all as her simply trying to make me her apprentice, but it didn't seem that simple. I fully believe that, if Phanza just wanted me to fall to the Dark Side, she would have made it happen already, so, either she truly wants me to come over to the Dark Side willingly, or, and this is unlikely, Phanza isn't nearly as capable as I thought of her as. Considering she wanted to teach me the Sith language, I was leaning towards the former.

"Then breath. Close your eyes, inhale, let the air into your lungs, imagine it filling them, and then, when you're ready, release it all. Exhale, clear your lungs and clear your mind. When you're done, I'll still be here, you'll be okay, and we can discuss if this is what we want to do or not." Phanza instructed, her voice low and level, everything contributing to making me feel calmer, safer, and fine, despite my reaction. I did as she instructed, breathing in and out slowly, and, as I did this, I realized it wasn't all that far off from how I used to meditate. I also realized that, despite being so close to a meditative state, I wasn't being confronted with the horrors I was expecting. I hadn't seen a backlash yet, so, perhaps naively, I decided to keep looking, to see if there was any merit to my fears after all. On one hand, I was practically setting myself up for failure, after all, I'm bound to feel something I don't want to feel, on the other hand, I haven't felt anything terrible yet, and I could be pleasantly surprised. Thus, curiosity got the better of me and I took this detour before coming back to the present.

As I continued these breathing exercises, I lightly, tentatively, reached out into the Force. I felt my own presence first, a gentle wave of blue, not quite the radiant blue and white Light Side presence that was perhaps the ideal, but still on the Light Side. I felt Phanza next, a soft hum of power coming off of her, and she was mainly purple in color, with flashes of red or blue here and there. I realized then that there was some truth to Phanza's philosophy, after all, she wasn't consumed by the Dark Side, in fact, as blasphemous as it may be to say, she felt more balanced than any Jedi I knew. Balanced between light and dark rather than balanced on the Light Side of the Force, but what if that was the right way this whole time? Now, I'm in no position to make that decision, I'm not well read enough on the ancient Jedi texts, but what if balance to the Force meant a middle ground, rather than a purely light perspective?

I was a bit bolder with my next move, reaching out further, and, this time, I felt the power of Grand Duchess Voytana. It hung over Taaszon like a storm cloud, and, like a storm cloud, I had no doubt that Voytana could release bolts upon bolts of lightning at any given moment. It was sickly powerful, but, despite that, it was still a purple color. Voytana's shade was closer to red than Phanza's, that much is true, but the difference isn't all that great. Was this the dominant philosophy of Taaszon then? With a new insight, new questions, and something on my mind rather than my own unfortunate circumstances, I opened my eyes and came back to Phanza, seeing relief flash across Phanza's face. The Sith Lord smiled, her face naturally assuming its typical smirk, but I knew there was no malice to it. Just another example of Phanza appearing evil without actually being it. It is a darker presence than the Jedi I used to know, after all, I noticed the darkness first, it seemed overwhelming on Imperius Prime, but, increasingly, I've noticed that this is not the case.

"Why do you use the Dark Side Phanza? You're nice, you care, and you seem principled. You could've been a Jedi in another life." I asked once I calmed down, so curious about my shifting perspective on Phanza. It was easy to call this woman a dark presence, it was easy to dismiss her as a Sith Lord, and it was easy to call her a threat, but the truth is very different, much harder to pin down. That purple I sensed, as if Phanza is equal parts light and dark, not a dull gray that ignored either extreme, but an equal mix of an extreme red and an extreme blue. I would have always imagined the middle ground between the light and dark to be some kind of gray, but this isn't a gray, far from it. From a certain point of view, Phanza is a powerful dark sider, from another point of view, she's a champion of the light, and from a third point of view, she's neither. It was a conundrum, to say the least.

"I use the Dark Side because it's pragmatic. Lightning and choking is a lot more useful in a fight than pacifism and dogma." Phanza answered, echoing some of our earlier conversations, and adding a critique of the Jedi, though, fortunately, Phanza left her scathing take on the Jedi at that. The Nautolan did continue though, just not attacking my order so viciously "I am who I am Zaliza, I am a Force user and I'm going to use the Force to my advantage. You don't win a war through arbitrary restrictions and morals, you win a war with killing, with efficiency, and with power. Palpatine and his clones wouldn't show us any mercy, and we can't afford to be merciful in our reprisals. The only time when mercy pays off in a war is when it can provide a strategic or tactical advantage. Prisoners have to be kept somewhere and fed, corpses don't. Turn coats needed to be fed and housed as well, however, at very least, they make themselves useful by fighting for you. We live in an age of war and resistance, this isn't the time for a Jedi, it's the time for a Sith."

I listened to Phanza's argument, cringing at moments, but...it made sense, for what it was. I suppose that applied to me as well, I was here because, even as a Jedi, I was another fighter, another body that could be useful on the front lines. She described it all as pragmatic. Again, I suppose that makes sense, Phanza isn't dark for the sake of being dark or light for the sake of being light, she does what she believes is right, what she believes is most useful, in each particular instance, rather than living according to anyone else's philosophy, only her own. Phanza's philosophy then, falls into place here. She sees the Force as something that can be molded, can be used accordingly, and she believes that she would only be consumed by the Dark Side if she allows it to happen. I wasn't sure if I entirely agreed with this philosophy, but I understood it. This wasn't some insane, completely foreign perspective that horrified me, it was simply different. I knew the Jedi perspective and my own philosophy wanted peace even more than that, but I ca understand how someone like Phanza, someone who grew up around the Sith, would have such a war driven perspective, especially given the state of the galaxy as a whole nowadays.

"May the Force serve you well," I summed up Phanza's argument, remembering our discussion on philosophy. Phanza nodded, as if to say precisely, but then let me think once again. I watched as the Nautolan closed the textbook and put it away, having decided that her idea would have to wait, this certainly wasn't the right time to introduce the Sith language, but, perhaps, she could ease some of my worries about the Sith in other ways. Thus, as the Nautolan waited to help me through this, I turned my attention back to how Phanza's perspective is shaped by Taaszon. That, naturally, evolved into me thinking about the - admittedly limited - number of other perspectives and views I've encountered on this Sith capital world.

I couldn't help but remember the Chiss bartender I spoke to about the Jedi and the conversation I had with Yevenna afterwards. The people of Taaszon are clearly a more militaristic people, they are clearly willing to do what it takes to fight and win wars, and they advised me that the Jedi should do the same. It would be easy to dismiss these as typical Sith perspectives, but...well, I'd be lying if I said I considered an alien bartender a typical Sith civilian in any way. I always imagined that civilians living under the Sith would be a poor and suffering lot, clearly oppressed, clearly living in a xenophobic society, but this quite frankly doesn't exist on Taaszon. Then there's Yevenna, the Mirialan who definitely is not a typical Mandalorian in any way. She's not a hulking, silent brute who will kill Jedi and commit terrorism to achieve her goals, she's a young and bubbly woman who just happens to be a part of Clan Ordo. That did bring up another thing: Yevenna was an alien, that bartender was an alien, and even Phanza herself was an alien. I noticed this about Taaszon ever since I got here, there is no sign of that xenophobia and oppression that we always associated with the Sith, even the ancient Sith that Taaszon originates from.

"Why are aliens so welcome here? I know the Chiss are indigenous to this part of the galaxy, but what about everyone else? I mean, you're the Grand Duchess's apprentice, this doesn't seem like the Sith state I was expecting. Why is it like this?" I asked, finally wanting some answers and clarity about Taaszon. I don't know why I reacted that way, I don't even know really what that was - was it just an emotional reaction? Was it a panic attack? I've never had one before...or was it something more, is there something wrong with me? - but, I hoped that, with some answers, I could finally feel more comfortable on Taaszon. I trust Phanza, I like this castle, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the people, even the Grand Duchess herself, but being on a Sith planet has always felt odd, maybe if I can make myself feel better here, I can avoid another reaction like that in the future.

"Well, there are a number of reasons. First of all, by the time the old Sith Empire was collapsing, quite a few aliens had risen to powerful positions, and those aliens were among the group that led the exodus to Taaszon. Second of all, when we went on that exile, we took whoever we could get. Aliens were allowed to join us, slaves were promised their freedom if they would help us rebuild and help fill our ranks, and, of course, the local Chiss were incorporated into our society. That part actually came rather easily, considering that the Sith Empire and the Chiss Ascendancy were allies. In fact, based on the ancient maps, Taaszon was somewhat of a border world back then, where Sith and Chiss culture mixed. Third of all, there is the fact that many Grand Duchesses have been part of the line of Kallig, not just Grand Duchess Voytana. This lineage from an alien, Darth Imperius, has had an effect on our society." Phanza explained, giving a number of reasons why aliens became accepted. It seemed that it was born out of necessity, Taaszon taking whoever they could get, even abolishing slavery just to gain manpower, and, over time, that necessity evolved into tolerance, and, by now, that tolerance was evolved into a healthy cooperation. All in all, it wasn't all that different to the processes that made the Republic so diverse and free, processes which Palpatine is no doubt undoing.

"So, once again pragmatism plays into how Taaszon is today." I picked up on the common theme, seeing that Taaszon was very much a society shaped by the circumstances around it. Voytana and her predecessors knew that they couldn't simply continue living on as the Sith Empire, thus, they traded their Imperial title for the title of Grand Duchess, making it clear that this was not a continuation of Dromund Kaas, rather, this was a different kind of Sith civilization. A temporary kind of survival until the Sith Empire could be reformed. Of course, it wasn't all that temporary as, even now, almost four thousand years later, Taaszon still hasn't reformed the Sith Empire, and, in fact, it seems that Palpatine has beat them to the punch, nevertheless, Taaszon lives on. They also knew that they couldn't afford to be selective or prejudiced in a time where their numbers were at a historic low. Thus, you have Phanza Attam as one of the most prominent Sith Lords in the Grand Duchy, you have a Chiss bartender in the capital city's cantina, and you have Yevenna Aphlen as part of one of the ancient Sith affiliated Mandalorian Clans.

"We are survivors Zaliza, we have done what it takes to survive, and we will continue to do whatever it takes to survive. That includes compromises and tolerance, but it also includes murder and destruction, all as and when necessary." Phanza replied, outlining what it all really comes down to. The philosophy, the society, and the pragmatism all emerged out of a need to keep some aspect of the ancient Sith Empire around. Then there's me, half a Sith, the last of their bloodline, and they're ensuring that I'm surviving. As much as I believe in Phanza, as much as I have even seen in the Force that she's not nearly as much of a dark sider as I once thought she was, my presence here has to be seen through the lens that my father was one of them. Phanza wants me to willingly come over to the Dark Side, but that's still what she wants out of this, and she evidently has the confidence that this will work, is that all just to ensure the survival of their royal lineage? Well...I would argue that no, it's not, because there's no way that they would trust me to become their Grand Duchess, even if I do become a Sith and all of that. I'm not from here, I don't know Taaszon's way of life, I've been a Jedi, even if I'm the last of the Sith blood, I'm not the best option. All of that coms before the fact that, even if they did ask me, I have no interest in that, I still want to be a Jedi, certainly not the ruler of a Sith state.

"Thanks for the conversation Phanza, I do appreciate it, but I think I need to go and think about it now." I thanked her, I think I enjoyed these little insights into Taaszon and the thought provoking nature of them more than I would have enjoyed learning a language that my values say is forbidden. I enjoyed the conversation, but now I kinda needed to be by myself and think - but not back at my room, that place is just overflowing with bad memories and reminders of everything that I'm doing wrong - I wanted to go out into the city and breath again. I liked Phanza, I will never forget that she gave me asylum when the whole world I knew came crashing down, but I can't always be around her. I can't have the only alternative being entirely by myself though, I needed to be out in public, out where I couldn't just sit there and get trapped in my own head. I wanted to think, to truly think, not to just wind up wallowing in my own misery once again.

"Very well Zaliza, stay safe. I'm just a single link away." Phanza assured me, bringing up our Force link. I didn't know much about it, neither did Phanza as it turns out, but it did have its uses, for better or worse. The fact that I could reach her at any time in an instant, regardless of any technology or signal jamming, was a comforting thought, especially given that it may well have saved our lives on Nar Shaddaa. In any case, I nodded and left Castle Attam, ready to take the taxi down to the capital city and to spend some time alone on those streets, escaping the confines of my misery.

* * *

My attention had previously been focused on the Citadel, after all, it was a giant, monolithic structure that literally stretched into the clouds over Taaszon. There was, however, more to this story, because, on the top of the mountains over the valley, there was Castle Attam. Phanza's own castle also towered over the valley, perched at the highest point of the local topography. It wasn't as tall as the Citadel, obviously, but it still had an incredible vantage point. Together, these two structures said a lot about the Grand Duchy. Castle Attam was the lair of Phanza Attam, the watchful enforcer of the Grand Duchy, the one who operated publicly and carried out Taaszon's duties in the broader galaxy, possessing a spy network that could catch anyone and anything in the capital city. Then there was the citadel, the home of Grand Duchess Voytana herself, whose power was absolutely astronomical. Voytana was high above it, away from the public eye, but Phanza was more accessible, more active, more public, and their residences served as an interesting reflection of their perception.

I wondered whether or not this was similar to the situation that Palpatine and Vader were in back in the rest of the galaxy. Palpatine, after all, kept the fact that they were Sith a secret, instead posing as the Emperor, a victim of the Jedi, and the man who finally brought peace to the galaxy. This cover was advantageous to Palpatine, definitely, but it was also somewhat of a burden, after all, Palpatine couldn't just operate openly as a Sith. Vader, who was known as a former Jedi, had more liberties, being able to use the Force, possessing a deadly lightsaber, and effortlessly crushing the Empire's enemies. It was an interesting comparison, but that's not to say that Phanza and Voytana are anything like Vader and Sidious. Vader and Sidious reigned over a galaxy that they took over through coercion and subjugation, Phanza and Voytana were the leaders that the people of Taaszon wanted. The Grand Duchy was an autocratic monarchy but the people were happy with it, cheering when the separatist invasion was repelled. I suppose that isn't a perfect example, after all, the people of Taaszon knew that the separatists were ruled by the Sith too, but the point remains, the people are happy here, that means a lot.

For all the pacification droids, Chiss police, and even Sith patrolling the streets, there doesn't seem to be all that much of a resistance against them. I could say that just means they're really efficient at crushing dissent, but it simply isn't like that, I would have noticed it by now if there was a dissatisfaction with the regime. As weird as it seems to say this, the people are happy with autocracy, the people are happy living under the Sith. In fact, they even seem to look down upon democratic systems of government, dismissing them as gridlock and the domination of the stupid. As weird as it seems to me, this was just how the people of Taaszon wanted to live, and, well, if this is what they wanted, then wouldn't forcing democracy on them be undemocratic? Being from the Republic, it's easy to say that our system is the best and others should adop it, but I've also watched that system collapse, meanwhile, for better or worse, after almost four thousand years, Taaszon is still standing. It's an interesting thing to think about, but there's already plenty of things I have to think about.

First of all, lets just start with the big one - who am I now? I was a Jedi Padawan before Order 66, I thought I was a Zeltron, and, under Master Avdune's tutelage, I was on the path to becoming a Jedi Knight. Having trained a Padawan to Knighthood, Master Ullara would have then been offered the rank of Jedi Master. I would have used my position as a Knight to try and work for reform and peace for the Jedi, hopefully with some assistance from Master Avdune. Things were simple then, I had a plan, I had Ullara, and I had ambitions. Now though, now I'm finding out that I'm a half-blooded Sith, something that the Jedi Council hid from me, something which even Ullara hid from me. It was for my own protection they would claim, and I didn't even know what to think of that. On one hand, I'm hurt by the fact that my own order and, especially, my own master lied to me like that, but, on the other hand, the truth is absolutely worse. I preferred life when I could think I was simply a Zeltron, before I had to think about this link to a culture that I was taught was a threat.

Then there was also the matter of the Jedi. The organization that was so flawed, so hypocritical, and so blind to its own destruction, but the organization that also stood for defending the galaxy, for peace, and for everything that I believed in. All the Jedi are dead now. The clones in Order 66 did the majority of the deed and now Vader and the Inquisitors would finish off whoever was left. What did that mean for me? I wanted to continue being a Jedi, I wanted to rebuild the order, but how could I even do that when I couldn't even save my best friend from becoming an Inquisitor? Phanza promised me that I would be able to use Taaszon as a place, and I had some problems with that considering I still didn't entirely trust the Grand Duchy, even if I did trust Phanza, so I had a temporary location, but that's all I had. I was only a Padawan, certainly not ready to teach former Jedi, so I couldn't ensure the future of the Jedi alone. In the short term, I'm not capable of saving my fellow Jedi and, in the long term, I'm not capable of training future Jedi. I want to be a Jedi, I want to do this for Ullara, to make her sacrifice mean something, but just because I want something doesn't mean I have any ability to make it happen.

I found myself walking aimlessly through the capital city as I continued sifting through the wild cyclone of thoughts tearing through my head. What did I think about the nature of Taaszon's tolerance? On one hand, the fact that it was all down to doing what it takes to survive diminished what I saw here, after all, it wasn't done with benevolent intentions, it was down to keep a basically evil civilization alive. On the other hand, the tolerance itself was a good thing and, in many ways, the Grand Duchy of Taaszon is very different from its Sith Empire origins, almost an even split between the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force. Autocracy, militarism, and unabashed use of Sith titles were all common place in Taaszon, but, once again, we reach the fact that the people themselves are happy with it. That really is the most confounding part of Taaszon, on paper, it's everything that I, as a Jedi, should despise, everything that I should be fighting against, however, in practice, the Grand Duchy is completely inoffensive. The people were happy with it.

"Oh hey there Zaliza!" speaking of the people of Taaszon and speaking of defying expectations, I ran into Yevenna Aphlen yet again. We weren't quite at the Mandalorian Enclave, I hadn't wandered there lost in my thoughts yet again, but we were pretty close to it. The Mirialan was dressed in her arm and held her helmet in her right arm, exposing her green skin and black hair tied back into a bun. She didn't really look like Ullara, beyond the superficial similarities of being the same species, but it was interesting that I found another Mirialan friend on a Sith planet of all laces. My understanding is that her parents just happened to be Mirialans assimilated into Sith society before they died and Yevenna was adopted into the Mandalorians. I didn't have too much time to think of it though, because, well...Yevenna loves talking, quite a bit "I didn't think I'd find you here, after all, you don't usually come down into the city. Not that finding you is a bad thing, you seem pretty cool after all, its just kinda weird. How are you doing though? Did my answers last time help at all? I hope they did!"

"Hello Yevenna, it's nice to see you again. As for how I'm doing? Well...I'm doing the best I can I suppose, but it's hard. I don't have anyone left in my life, to be honest, you, Lady Attam, and Grand Duchess Voytana are the only people on this whole planet that I know. I've been spending most of my time alone in my room, just thinking, just remembering all the people who died, and how I can't do anything to avenge them. Phanza and I went out on a mission a few days ago, but I encountered an old friend on it, someone whose now being used by Palpatine, and seeing her suffering just made everything that much worse." I revealed, not sure why I was telling all of this to the Mandalorian woman, but it seemed like quite a relief to finally vent to someone other than Phanza, it felt good having more than one person for once. I sighed and, knowing that I would, no doubt, be confronted with a wall of questions from the talkative Mirialan, I made sure to answer the one remaining one, not wanting to fall behind my rapid companion "Your answers were insightful, though I'm not sure how I can really apply them. That's not your fault though, it's just...I have no idea how I could possibly rebuild the Jedi."

"It's hard, I understand." Yevenna replied, surprisingly quiet and solemn, her voice serious and filled with a deep empathy "The Mandalorians have struggled too, almost being wiped out countless times. Even our group here is just a small splinter of a civilization, and we haven't seen Mandalore in generations. I mean, we've seen the news reports and we know the past few decades haven't been a great time for Mandalore, but it's not the same, you know? We haven't actually been to our homeworld is what I mean, and that hurts. The Mandalorians here aren't like this, but there are groups of Mandalorians out there, usually isolated clans, who have taken on an extreme version of our creed. These guys literally won't taken off their armor or their helmets until the Mandalorians and their honor are fully restored. It seems pretty weird to me, but I guess it just shows how much our people have suffered. Now the Jedi are suffering too and, even though Jedi and Mandalorians fought in the past, it's not right seeing the Jedi like this, it's like...wrong I guess, it's a dishonorable way for your order to be taken down."

"Yeah, yeah I get what you're trying to say. The Mandalorians, for better or worse, are a warrior race and, while your creed is a lot different from our code, you have your principles and your way of fighting. Then, there's Palpatine, who betrayed us, who stabbed us in the back, and who stole the whole galaxy with lies and deception, and he's still lying to the people. I'm not a fan of war, but the Mandalorians would have at least given us a fair fight if it was you guys in that situation." I pondered in return, thinking about the different levels of evil in the galaxy. Death Watch was a terrorist group, an enemy of the Republic and of Mandalore, but they were principled, and, because of that, a faction of Death Watch fought alongside us during the Siege of Mandalore. I can only imagine what's happening to them now, probably being mopped up by the clones as a loose end. What about Maul and his forces then? Was he a pawn of Palpatine as well? Probably, dragging the Republic into yet another conflict and adding a reason to keep the war going after Count Dooku's death.

"I know this is a bit of a weird time to ask, and I'm sorry for this, but...are you going with Lady Attam to Cipher-9? Ceyla is taking me into the field with her when Phanza goes to meet with the Intelligentsia." Yevenna asked, linking herself to Ceyla. Ceyla Ordo, hmm...I probably should have picked up on that earlier. In any case, I didn't think that the Intelligentsia is as simple as the educated classes of Cipher-9, especially not if Phanza is taking two Mandalorians with her.

"I hadn't heard about this mission, but I gotta admit, I'm kind of interested now." I replied, wondering just what this Intelligentsia was and why it was such a risk. I also hoped that a mission away from the empire, surrounded with allies, could help get my mind off things and relax me.

* * *

What is Intelligentsia? Find out next chapter!


	16. The Intelligentsia of Cipher-9

Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying the beginning of Mandalorian season two! I liked the first episode, I'm less crazy about having to wait a week - not sure why streaming services do that - anyway, here is chapter sixteen, enjoy!

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XVI.

The Intelligentsia of Cipher-9.

* * *

I saw Phanza sat on her observation deck, meditating. The red-skinned Nautolan was dressed in a black and purple robe that revealed her midriff and sleeves - it was definitely the same style as the one she wore on Acina, but I didn't think it was the exact same set, I think those were a lighter color - revealing her bare blood red skin. Phanza was a beautiful woman, but it was also clear as day that she was fierce. She didn't have massive muscle or defined abs or anything, but she was clearly toned, and I'm sure that's exactly what she wanted: she wanted to be an even mixture of deadly and elegant. Lady Attam always tried to appear this way, wearing her hood as four of her head-tails hung in front of her shoulders, soft skin contrasted with the harsh black tattoos, her beauty and her past both prominently displayed. She was part of a lineage of masters and apprentices tracing back all the way to Darth Imperius - this lineage was evidently called the Line of Kallig - and she was proud of that, but she was also proud of the fact that she was a young, beautiful, and intelligent woman, and she would flaunt all of it.

I also noticed that Ruumshi and Avoine were silently converging upon Phanza Attam, and I realized that this wasn't simply meditation. Part of the reason why Phanza was so deadly, so quick, and so confident was that she had this arrangement with her two bodyguards. Phanza's meditation place was also her dueling circle and, at any moment that she was in here, her bodyguards could attack, putting her skills to the test. This was a part of Sith life that I could never see myself getting used to - I couldn't ever see myself honing my reflexes like this, I couldn't see myself training by experience like that, and I definitely didn't want to always be on edge - I couldn't comprehend how Phanza could focus on meditation while knowing that her bodyguards could attack whenever. That being said, Phanza seemed absolutely at home in this environment, it was like she thrived in these conditions, operating well under pressure. I suppose this is why she was able to get us out of that situation with Vader - Phanza was caught with a lightsaber by Darth Vader and an Inquisitor and walked away alive with her weapon, that's impressive - I certainly wouldn't have done as well as she did.

I saw Phanza open her eyes and smile at me before, in an impossibly fast maneuver, she twisted up and ignited her red and black lightsaber, catching Ruumshi's electrostaff. At this point, however, Ruumshi got used to her mistress's spins and took advantage of her unstable footing, kicking her in the stomach and knocking her over. Phanza landed flat on her back and, before she could get up, the human joined in, with Avoine attacking. The electrostaff slammed down where Phanza had just been as she rolled away, coming up on her knee, and she turned off her lightsaber and threw it. I watched, fascinated as the lightsaber hilt flew through the air at Avoine while Phanza followed it with Force-enhanced speed - I guess the rule of not using the Force only applied to Phanza using the Force directly - I watched as Phanza caught her lightsaber hilt again, igniting it just behind the electrostaff. Avoine took a deep breath, feeling the hot blade so close to her face, and she dropped her electrostaff, surrendering. The electrostaff never hit the ground, because Ruumshi caught it.

Two electrostaffs were pressed against Phanza's back, knocking her to the ground as she was electrocuted. I thought that Phanza was finally being defeated, I didn't see how Lady Attam could've possibly recovered from this, but the Nautolan was persistent. I watched as Phanza kicked Ruumshi in the shin and knocked the Zabrak bodyguard to the ground, rolling on top of her. In just a moment, the fight completely changed, Phanza went from being electrocuted to pinning Ruumshi to the ground and holding her unignited lightsaber emitter to the orange girl's throat, having won. Phanza and Ruumshi remained like that for just a moment, Lady Attam breathing heavily as she put her lightsaber back on her hip, but I couldn't help but notice that Phanza was still panting and straddling the Zabrak. I knew that the circumstances were entirely benign, but that little moment, the moment as Phanza and Ruumshi recovered from the surprise training, bothered me. I didn't know when I stopped breathing - perhaps when Phanza was electrocuted, perhaps when the fight ended, or maybe it wasn't until I noticed that beat where Phanza remained hovering over the Zabrak - but I didn't start breathing again until Phanza got up and helped the Zabrak up.

"Well fought, my mistress, you caught me off guard in the end there." Ruumshi admitted, the Zabrak seemed somewhat embarrassed in her failure, like she believed that she really should have won. Maybe that was true, she had recovered the two electrostaffs and snuck up on Phanza from behind, bringing her to the ground. Phanza should have absolutely been defeated at that point, but one little kick was enough to bring down Ruumshi and give the Nautolan Sith yet another victory. This was another part of Sith society I didn't appreciate, the Sith hate failure. I don't think that failure is necessarily a death sentence on Taaszon, they do seem to be much more merciful than the Sith typically are - another example of pragmatism as the Grand Duchy does not have enough numbers for anyone to be disposable - but they still look down upon failure. I don't think I could ever see myself fully assimilating into a society like this, where failure is never tolerated.

"It's fine Ruumshi, you did well. This training betters the two of you as well as me." Phanza reassured her bodyguards as Ruumshi returned the other electrostaff to Avoine. The Zabrak bowed her head and smiled at me before the two of them left the observation deck, giving Phanza and I some privacy. I gave a polite smile as I walked closer to Phanza, waiting patiently as the Nautolan stretched out and recovered from the fight. A sheen of cold sweat shined on her bare skin as the physical exertion of the fight contrasted with the cold mountain air of Castle Attam, perched high above the valley and the capital city. The only thing higher than this observation deck was the Citadel itself, symbolizing that Phanza was the second most powerful woman on Taaszon, fitting for the heir to the Line of Kallig. The Nautolan smiled in turn before speaking to me "Good morning Zaliza, how are you?"

"I'm okay Phanza, how are you?" I answered, not really thinking about how I actually felt. The truth is, I felt rather lost right now, I was dissatisfied with my behavior as a Jedi, I doubted my ability to make a difference for Thonna Ai'Sunn, let alone for the rest of the galaxy, and I was finding problems with Phanza's way of life as well. I didn't know how I was supposed to exist in this galaxy now. Prior to Order 66 I had friends and I had purpose, I wanted to help the Jedi find their way again after the Clone Wars, correcting our course, but now, I'm alone in the galaxy, with a Sith for a best friend.

"To be honest, I'm a little paranoid." Phanza began, kneeling down on the meditation pad as I joined her, listening "With my spies on Coruscant dead and my spies elsewhere in the Empire in hiding, I'm looking for a new line of information. Anything that can help us find a weakness in the Empire or even just some news we can use to our advantage. The problem, of course, is that we already tried the underworld on Nar Shaddaa, without much success. I don't trust the Hutts, the Exchange, or the anyone else out there anymore, we need something different. My hand is forced, I'm going to have to go talk to a group called the Intelligentsia. They are an autonomous society of spies based on a world called Cipher-9. If anyone is still able to get information out from under the nose of Darth Vader, it's the Intelligentsia, and I'm out of better options right now."

"You sound like you don't want to go there. Are they dangerous?" I asked, Phanza had her own capable spy network and, well, she was the second most powerful woman in the whole Grand Duchy, who could she possibly be afraid of? This is the same woman who lied to Darth Vader's face and got away with it, now she was paranoid in the face of the Intelligentsia, I couldn't help but be worried about this. I heard about this mission from Yevenna and, if my Mandalorian friend and Phanza were going to be there, I wanted to be there too, but I couldn't help but ask questions and wonder what was going on. I didn't understand why this Sith Lord felt paranoid about all of this.

"The Intelligentsia were formed from a variety of spies and intelligence operatives from the old Sith Empire. Some came from Imperial Intelligence, some from Sith Intelligence, some where the personal spies of Sith Lords, others yet were rogue agents, and the Intelligentsia represented them coming together under one name on Cipher-9, loyal to each other above all else. They don't care for any currency or demand, they only trade information for information. Espionage against the Empire is going to demand a high price, and I don't like giving them any more insight into me or my companions than is strictly necessary. I don't even bring the same people with me to Cipher-9 more than once, I don't want them to be able to pinpoint my close allies, so I mix up who I bring. I don't want them to figure out a pattern of behavior, so I keep my movements on Cipher-9 random and erratic. I don't want them to know about my operations, so I try to sell them information from my spies. That isn't going to be possible this time. I'm going to have to give them something about me and about my plans, and I don't like doing that." Phanza revealed, explaining just what the Intelligentsia was and how they did business. I now understood why she was feeling paranoid, whatever information we get on the Empire, we're going to need to give them something just as valuable in return, that wasn't good.

"Couldn't you simply order them to give you this information? They're enemies of the Empire too." I pointed out, after all, the Intelligentsia is part of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon and an attack on the Grand Duchy would hurt them too. That's also ignoring the cold, hard truth of the chain of command. Phanza is just below Grand Duchess Voytana herself and the Sith love their hierarchy, why couldn't she just simply use it now? I'm obviously not a fan of Phanza throwing her political weight around, but I can recognize that it's a necessary move for the greater good in this case.

"No, it's not that simple unfortunately." the Nautolan frowned, her tone indicating that she wishes this was the case "The Intelligentsia and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon have a very special arrangement, they enjoy our protection and we value their abilities, therefore, they have considerable autonomy and freedom from our usual chain of command. If I tried to order the Intelligentsia around I would be defying an agreement which has stood for four thousand years and I would be endangering any future cooperation with their spies. I'm not thrilled about giving them information, but I know that this is how it needs to be. I am not going to jeopardize this arrangement because of my own paranoia."

"Well...I would like to go with you anyway. I think we would both feel better there together." I said. I know that Phanza said she likes to mix up who she brings, but obviously she has never brought me to Cipher-9 before, in fact, I could even be the secret that gets us the information on the Empire. Surely the secret that Phanza is harboring a surviving Jedi is valuable, even if I haven't necessarily made an effort to hide it. In any case, I wanted to make sure that Phanza and Yevenna Aphlen would be alright and I had a feeling that Phanza would feel more comfortable with me along as well.

"Very well then. I am bringing Ceyla and her protege as well. I was with Ruumshi and Avoine last time I was on Cipher-9. There was also the time with HK-107 but...well, that didn't go well for anyone." Phanza smiled, standing up as she remembered what definitely sounds like a bit of an incident. I got up as well, thinking about the assassin droid. HK-107 was an interesting specimen, he was a ruthless assassin droid, yet one with a developed personality, but, despite all of that, he had an archaic speech pattern. Part of me wanted to ask more about why the droid was like that, but another part of me, perhaps the sane part, wanted to stay as far away from the HK droid as possible. In any case, I had no doubt that bringing a droid who was blatantly obsessed with spreading bloodshed and assassination to a planet populated by secretive and intensely independent spies wasn't the best idea. I do, however, feel like Phanza was somewhat amused by the whole episode, not enough to ever do it again, but amused enough to enjoyed bringing HK-107 to Cipher-9.

"I look forward to joining you." I replied before heading back into Castle Attam, having nothing left to do but wait. It was a bittersweet feeling: on one hand, I had nothing to do but sit around and wait for our mission, letting the worries and the doubts build and build over time, but, on the other hand, I had something to anticipate, something to keep my mind off of my own wretched circumstances. I suppose that I even want to worry in a way, the anticipation and the adrenaline of a dangerous mission was better than just sitting there, living with the memories. I was too young for everything I experience, I still am I think, all those clones I came to know only for them to die - or worse, live long enough to betray me - all the battles I fought. The older masters, for whatever reasons, they were able to make their peace with slaughtering so many droids, but I couldn't do that. I saw living things that could speak, think, and act for themselves, it didn't really matter that they could be turned off, what matters is that I killed so many of them. Perhaps I wasn't too young in that respect, perhaps I was simply too human. I couldn't see it as a war between clones and droids, I saw it as a war of living beings against living beings, and I had to live through that. Now, I have to live with those memories in the context of Order 66 -the droids I killed weren't even for a purpose, it was just two sides of the galaxy slaughtering each other to set the stage for Palpatine's rise to power - on top of the immense grief of that genocide of my fellow Jedi. A dangerous mission was a welcome distraction to my mental hell.

* * *

The _Ultimate_ sat in front of us, the now familiar angular black Sith vessel was perched on its landing gears, looking as if it could attack at any moment. A mechanical bird of prey, as if at any moment it could be screeching through the sky and picking of its unsuspecting foe, and it certainly could be. Phanza stood next to me, still wearing her robe from earlier, the Nautolan had her arms crossed and was simply leaning against the hangar wall and looking at me. Phanza and I were waiting for Ceyla and Yevenna to arrive, the Mandalorian entourage would not only provide additional security should something go wrong on Cipher-9, but they would also help confuse the spies. From what Phanza told me, the Intelligentsia were good, but they weren't so good as to have access to Castle Attam. They had to work to figure out who Phanza's closest allies were, because she would show up with a different crowd each time. It sounded like Phanza arrived with different numbers of guests as well, further keeping the Intelligentsia on their toes. The woman was very careful to obfuscate any information on her and leaving the spies of Cipher-9 guessing. This skill, I suspect, was very rare, yet another example of how truly impressive Phanza is.

"Ceyla has been an excellent ally of mine. She is a warrior through and through, the coming together of both Mandalorian and Echani culture, and that mixing of warrior traditions has produced a woman that can single-handedly destroy armies. At range, she's lethal with blasters and her jetpack, closer up, she has lightning reflexes that keep her faster than any opponent while still wrapped in that protective layer of beskar steel. Ceyla Ordo does a lot for me and I am grateful for all of it. I trust her and I think you should do." Phanza explained, her tone indicating two things. One: it showed that Lady Attam really did put a ton of faith into her Mandalorian companion, which was unexpected considering this was a Sith talking about an ally who wasn't even Force-sensitive. Two: this indicated that Phanza truly was concerned about this mission. We were dealing with the greatest spies in Taaszon, spies who treasured compromising information like nothing else, and, to get out of that situation the best way possible, we needed to trust each other and have faith in each other. Any division, any mistake, and any carelessness will instantly be caught by the Intelligentsia and I am certain that they will play it to their advantage.

"If you trust her, I'm going to trust her. I already know Yevenna by the way, I trust her too." I shot Phanza a smile, adding the information that we could trust the Mirialan Mandalorian as well. We were dealing with sensitive information here, mutual trust was essential. Speaking of sensitive information, I looked down on my robes. I was dressed in black and purple robes which covered my entire body - significantly more modest than Phanza's outfit - the dark hood hanging over my red-skinned face. The double-bladed lightsaber on my hip only contributed more to the image: the fact that I'm really a Jedi shall remain a secret, I can pass, quite convincingly, as Phanza's new Sith apprentice, so that will very likely be our cover stuff. Openly traveling as a Jedi would render the truth about me worthless, as the Intelligentsia would already know that. This cover was the best way to buy our information on Cipher-9, even if the whole idea hit a little too close to home. It shouldn't be possible that I would ever become Phanza's apprentice, but I can't pretend that it's impossible.

There are parts of Sith life I intensely disagree with. I don't think that raw strength and power with the Force is nearly as important as the Sith believe it is, it doesn't matter how strong or weak a Force user is - to take it further, it doesn't even matter if someone is a Force user or not - we all matter and we're all equally important. Everyone, no matter how insignificant, has the potential to do great or terrible things, no one should be rejected simply because they don't meet some arbitrary strength in the Force standard set at Taaszon's Sith Academy. I also have to admit that Phanza's more tolerable interpretation of the Sith Code is also a very liberal interpretation of the Sith Code. The good parts of Taaszon also receive somewhat of a asterisk given that all their good was a product of a small number of Sith who escaped the collapse of their old empire trying to survive and rebuild.

"Good. Both the fact you found a friend here and the fact we can trust her." Phanza replied, a gentle smile on her face. This side of Phanza, the side that cared, the side that showcased how much of a brilliant woman she was, and the side that was a nice and compassionate person despite being a Sith, was wonderful. Phanza Attam could be a vicious woman, ripping Jedi philosophy apart, deconstructing people's entire lifestyles, and more than capable of giving a verbal thrashing, but that wasn't the entire side of her. It was interesting to describe her, it would almost be easier to say that she seemed bipolar, like she had her Sith personality and her friendly personality, but that wasn't the case, Phanza was always Phanza. Her most brutal actions, threats and lightning, were just as much of her as the pleasant and open person who was housing and comforting me through this dark new era in the galaxy.

"Here they are," I said as the two Mandalorians entered, both of them holding their helmets under their arm. The same arm for both of them, and they walked in perfect lock-step, Yevenna walking back straight and trying to do her best to appear professional, ready, and capable in front of Ceyla and Phanza. It was an interesting choice to bring the highly talkative Mirialan to a spy planet, but, I suspected that this was intentional - Ceyla was a Mandalorian, and that was definitely a culture that learned under pressure - the idea was that if Yevenna didn't learn self-control here, she wasn't going to learn it ever. I hoped that things would go well for Yevenna, I wanted her to succeed and I wanted her to realize her dreams as a Mandalorian. One more thing that I noticed about Yevenna and Ceyla Ordo was how heavily armed they were, showing how dangerous this mission could be. Yevenna had two blaster pistols at her hip, a blaster rifle against her jetpack, various weapons and gadgets controlled by her twin wrist gauntlets, and a short vibroknife on her belt as well. Ceyla was even more heavily armored, having her own twin blasters, wrist weapons, and gadgets, as well as a number of grenades on her belt, a heavy blaster pistol on her thigh holster, a long vibroblade on the side of one boot, and a pair of electrified batons on her other boot. The both of them also had their missiles on the top of the jetpack. The two Mandalorians were packing quite an arsenal, and all I could do was hope that they didn't have to use it on Cipher-9.

"My Lord, this is Yevenna Aphlen, a Mandalorian student under me." Ceyla bowed before her traveling companion and formally introduced Yevenna to us. The Echani Mandalorian had her silver-white hair short and professional looking, her matching eyes had an intense, serious, and prepared quality to them, suggesting that Ceyla fully understood the gravity of the situation and she was ready to face the trials of Cipher-9, to face the spies and pay the price of information. Yevenna was reserved and ready for action too, bowing before Phanza when cued and knowing that this was the side to prove herself. Yevenna could be clumsy and she may definitely talk way too much for her profession, but if she could separate her bubbly personality from her working persona, Yevenna could still be a very successful and very dangerous Mandalorian warrior on her own right.

"Very good. Zaliza Vyvan here is playing the part of my Sith apprentice. That's the cover story if anyone tasks, understood?" Phanza asked, making it clear that we had to present a unified front should we be separated and grilled by the Intelligentsia, which was perhaps possible. I didn't know to what lengths the Intelligentsia were going to go to for the sake of retrieving information. Me being Phanza's Sith apprentice was just one of the ground rules we were going to set on the way to Cipher-9, being careful was crucial to all this. In any case, the Mandalorians and I nodded "Good? Good, lets go."

* * *

I wasn't sure what I was expecting for the spy world to be, but Cipher-9 seemed to fit the bill exactly. The planet seemed to be perpetually dark, with raging storms and a sea that was just as active and tumultuous. I was almost thinking that Cipher-9 was an ocean planet similar to Kamino, however, soon enough, we came upon a cliff face, and, perched on top of that cliff face, sat a towering city. Tall walls surrounded a monolith - not nearly as tall as the Citadel, but the whole complex was definitely larger that Castle Attam - and a single large landing pad extended out from the walled compound. It was a big place, but, as far as I could tell, that this was the only structure on the whole planet, with the rest of this continent or island or whatever this cliff face was a part of being dark and deserted. I was expecting more from Cipher-9. Of course, as soon as I had that thought, I instantly proved myself wrong.

Two search lights picked up the _Ultimate_ flying in, a pair of cannons at the top of the compound walls trained on us. The implication was clear, the cannons were going to open fire on us if we didn't pass their test. The next hidden security measure, a scanner hidden underneath the landing pad, did its work, the red light of the scanner coming over our ship, making sure that everything was okay. I held a breath in the beat after the scan passed, because the turrets were still trained on us, but, fortunately, the treat passed and the guns returned to their alert position. I thought that was going to be the end the transformation here, but then, the cliff face itself began sinking into the sea. I watched as the whole landmass was revealed to be a massive base, a row of windows halfway down making me question just how big this base truly was. The Intelligentsia of Cipher-9 went from looking underwhelming to now seeming larger than life. The cliff face finally disappeared completely below the waves, revealing that the monolith and the compound was just the top of a very wide, almost pyramid shape angular, sleek compound. It was both a hidden spy base and a testament to how much strength and resources the Intelligentsia had.

The _Ultimate _came in for a landing. Rain battered down on the ship as the ramp lowered down and the four of us came down it. Phanza first, the Nautolan wore her hood up, but I didn't think that she needed it - the raindrops soaking on her head-tails must have had the Nautolan feel at home, her aquatic species was more than comfortable in the water - I watched her take a deep breath and enjoy the sea air as I joined her, standing at her side. I wore my hood up to protect against the elements and it almost shocked me how easily I settled into the role of Phanza's Sith apprentice. I stood next to her, but just half a step behind her. I keep my eyes down, but at attention - I didn't want anyone to focus in on me, but I wanted to focus on everyone else - then Ceyla and Yevenna followed. The rain drops pattering against their metal armor in a gentle hum as we walked in formation towards the entrance to the monolith, crossing the walkway at the end of the landing pad. A few months ago, before meeting Phanza and Order 66, I probably would have thought this was a chilling and evil entourage, yet now, here I was at the center of it. My species made me a Sith, my disguise made me a Sith, and the people around me were Sith, I could tell myself that I disagreed with the philosophy all I want, the fact is, what is marking me a Jedi at this point? I didn't know, but I was brought out of my mind as the monolith door all of a sudden opened, a man walking out.

At first glance, the man was simply a bald human male in a black longcoat, but that was far from the truth. The pale man had a set of cybernetics over his face, two rectangular black lenses over his eyes, perhaps replacing his eyes, and these lenses were attached to cybernetic frames which sunk back into his face, heading back up into his brain, down his jaw, and back into his neck. The man was dressed in all black, the leather longcoat over a black stealth suit, boots, and a tactical belt. I saw a blaster pistol on his hip as he pulled his coat back, I began anticipating a threat. The pistol wasn't his intention though, it remained safely in his holster, but four spherical droids flew out from under his coat, flying around the area. My eyes rapidly tracked them as one of them flew around us on the right, another on the left, a third flew through our group, making observations, and the fourth swung around the ship, no doubt checking if we had something to hide. I wouldn't be at all shocked if that particularly probe did infrared and x-ray scans in an attempt to see if we had anything still in the ship, and I also wouldn't be at all shocked if all the information from all four of the probes was being streamed directly to this man's lenses. This was just one man but I was already beginning to understand why Phanza was so paranoid about the Intelligentsia. One man had all of this equipment, and there was a whole island-sized compound of them below us.

"Operator Rahlkann," Phanza gave a tense greeting as the man and our group met in the middle of the walkway, the rain still coming down, but all of us were far more concerned about a potential storm right here, right now. The encounter only grew more tense as Rahlkann pulled his coat back yet again, revealing his blaster. At the same time, with the smallest of movements, Phanza used the Force to pull her lightsaber back into her hand. Tensions grew as the little probe droids returned to Operator Rahlkann, the first three probes coming back into his belt. A gust of wind blew the back of his coat up as the fourth probe circled out from behind him - odd, I hadn't seen it flying in on the right, but I guess it is dark, stormy, and windy. All of a sudden, Rahlkann drew his blaster and fired at Phanza, but the Nautolan caught the laser bolt with her red and black lightsaber. At the same time, another probe droid somehow appeared behind Lady Attam and fired a laser at her, but the Sith Lord stopped the laser bolt with the Force for long enough to bring her lightsaber back around and catch it with her lightsaber. Phanza had an incredibly grasp of the Force and of her surroundings to be able to manage all this while wearing a hood. All the while, Rahlkann laughed and put his blaster away.

"You're good Phanza, you really are. Welcome to Cipher-9!" the cyborg man finally spoke, greeting us. That whole tense reaction had only been a game, Rahlkann trying to get the best of Lady Attam, yet failing yet again. Rahlkann turned around and made his way back inside as the final probe tried flew back into its place, leaving me to wonder where this fifth droid came from. In any case, Phanza, Ceyla, Yevenna, and I followed the Operator inside. We were about the enter the massive island-sized base of the Intelligentsia, so big they were able to disguise it as a geographic cliff face.

"_What was that about?_" I asked Phanza through our mental link, wondering about that whole tense shoot-out stunt.

"_Operator Rahlkann is more than just a spy. He is part ambassador, part field operative, and part assassin. He once boasted to me that he could kill a Sith if he wanted to, I have been proving him wrong ever since. I knew what he was trying to do this time. The third probe droid is what kicked up his overcoat, then it came back around to make it look as if four probes docked back on his belt, in reality, the fourth was lining up a shot at me. It was just a matter of catching the laser bolts and he would be bested yet again._" Phanza explained, going into detail as to how she knew what Rahlkann was up to and what this whole game was about. So this just meant that Operator Rahlkann was particularly dangerous and he has been trying to prove that to Phanza for a long time, with Lady Attam remaining just one step ahead of him. This was yet another example of Phanza needlessly putting herself into risks and I didn't like that, but I was grateful that she won. I also get the impression that the Operator's blaster was set up to be nonlethal, or, at least, I hope so. In any case, all five of us piled into an elevator. Rahlkann turned to Phanza before choosing a floor, presumably meaning that different kinds of information are stored on different levels.

"What are you here for Phanza? I doubt it's something simple like a little blackmail material." Rahlkann asked, his question seemingly confirming my suspicions, suggesting that blackmail material would be a lot easier and cheaper to come by than something like industrial espionage or military intelligence, and, unfortunately for us, we're looking for the latter, on the Empire no less. We were probably asking for some of the most sensitive, exclusive, and expensive information that the Intelligentsia had in their possession, meaning we would have to trade them quite a bit of information in return.

"I need information on the Empire. Weak points, military movements, identifies on important figures, anything that can give us an edge." Phanza answered, soliciting a heavy sigh from Operator Rahlkann. This information was indeed hard to get.

"That, my friend, is very tight information." Rahlkann answered before selecting one of the lowest and most secure levels - should this planet ever be invaded, the most secure information was furthest underground, furthest from the reach of potential invaders - and, since we were going down rather than up, the elevator required a scan of Rahlkann's fingerprints. The base had multiple layers of security - the monolith was guarded by the cannons, the base was concealed by the false cliff face, and access to the base was restricted with a biometric scan - only adding more proof that the Intelligentsia was a very serious and very capable faction. The elevator started moving as Rahlkann turned back to Phanza "Perhaps before we get into the main exchange, I can tell you what we know about the Imperials and their counter-espionage efforts in exchange for what you know."

"Very well," Phanza accepted after a beat, knowing that it was a gamble as to whether or not the Intelligentsia knew more than we did "My apprentice, Zaliza, and I encountered Darth Vader himself on Nar Shaddaa. He is in charge of a group of Force-sensitives - all former Jedi as far as we can tell - operatives called the Inquisitors. They are the ones who hunt down my spies on Coruscant and I suspect they must have caught some of yours as well." Phanza revealed, saying most of what we knew, but I noticed two interesting omissions. The first was that Phanza didn't mention why exactly we were on Nar Shaddaa, the fact we were in disguises, or how we escaped Vader and the Third Sister. The second omission was that Phanza didn't share that the Inquisitors were supposed to be hunting surviving Jedi. I suppose that Phanza only shared what she thought was directly relevant to the Inquisitors and the Grand Duchy's disappearing spies.

"Our man in the Galactic Senate was compromised as well. The bugs we had him place are still transmitting, but we don't know for how much longer. That being said, we don't think our spies are necessarily the main target, we believe that these Inquisitors are hunting for threats to the Empire. I don't have any confirmation for this, but I think they're trying to find surviving Jedi and their supporters." Rahlkann revealed. For someone without the Force and no understanding of it, he did manage to figure out pretty much exactly what was going on. The fact that the Jedi seemed to be a priority target over the Grand Duchy was a good sign - well, not for me I suppose, but the Empire doesn't know I'm hiding in Taaszon - only Thonna knows and, despite being the Third Sister, I don't think she revealed me. I think Thonna allowed us to escape so she didn't have to confirm anything to her superiors.

The elevator arrived down at the bottom level and Operator Rahlkann lead us out to a central holoterminal. I watched as the human cyborg pulled up an image of three Venator-class Star Destroyers.

"Three Imperial capital ships, the _Constitution_, the _Benevolence_, and the _Geonosian_ were given new training and combat regiments. These combat regiments seem to be well placed to counter the tactics used by our Grand Ducal and Chiss forces during the Battle of Imperius Prime. We believe that these ships are due to be part of an attack group the Empire is developing to target our outlying systems." Rahlkann explained, and I suddenly felt guilty about the information Ullara and I gave to the Jedi Council after the battle. I couldn't have possibly predicted how my life would've changed since then, with me ending up on Taaszon against an evil Empire, but here we are. In any case, the Operator changed the image to a Republic, now Imperial, space station "These ships, however, were just rerouted to bring down separatist holdouts over the planet of Loukhamii."

"So...not only can we destroy three ships from the attack group against us, we can go it in a context where it looks like this Loukhamii resistance was responsible." Phanza realized, the Nautolan quickly realizing that this was, indeed, a good plan. We finally had a way of hitting the Empire without being the most obvious culprit, and that good potentially make the difference in the inevitable struggle. Of course, this was a Sith plan, and that meant there were some problems with it. For one: we would have to make sure there were no survivors on the space station or the three ships, after all, the whole point was to avoid being seen as responsible for this, after all, this was the price of fighting an asymmetrical war. The second issue was that, if we did succeed, the Empire would very likely carry out reprisals against this Loukhamii resistance, who, despite being former separatists, would be innocent in this case.

"If we manage to attack while the three ships are docked, all we really need to do is get to the reactor, set it to blow, and escape." Ceyla determined, the Mandalorian coming up with a battle plan, we had a way to make this work.

"Yes, yes, very good.' Operator Rahlkann began "Of course, any one of you could return to Taaszon with the mission details, and this is some very sensitive, very important information here. The Empire is involved, it is a major terrorist strike, and it is still possible that this could lead back to the Grand Duchy and, by extension, us. Therefore...I need a piece of intelligence from each of you. Valuable secrets and information that will pay the price of each of you knowing about these Star destroyers and the space station."

The four of us tensed up as the door leading to the elevator slammed shut and Rahlkann released his probe droids. A number of other Intelligentsia operatives gathered elsewhere in the room. The message was clear: all four of us were telling them something, or we were going to die.

* * *

I'm becoming habitual with these cliffhangers, I know, but this was a fitting ending.


	17. The Price of Subterfuge

Hello everyone, I'm here to alleviate the cliffhanger of two weeks ago. We're now over 100,000 words into this story on both FFN and AO3, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well.

Secrets of The Outer Rim.

Act II.

The Heart of Darkness.

Chapter XVII.

The Price of Subterfuge.

* * *

The four of us stood there for a moment, sizing up Operator Rahlkann and the other Intelligentsia members that just entered the room. Rahlkann gave us information on the Empire, now we had to pay him and his organization back, I understood that part. I, however, didn't understand the extent of this - the threatening arrival of his goons and the insistence on each of us giving a piece of information - it was highly unfair. The idea that any one of us was sufficient for returning this information to Taaszon was absurd, we obviously intended to return to the capital world with all four of us alive and well, but...judging by the blaster pistols and rifles in this room, there wasn't exactly room for negotiation. I did, however, know I had a valuable piece of information, so I stepped up first. I had to hope that the fact that I was a Jedi would be worth something to the Intelligentsia, ideally, worth enough for all four of us to get out of here unscathed. They had to be able to do something with that information, whether its an insight into Phanza and her power base, confirmation that there are Jedi survivors to Order 66, or simply as just potential blackmail material against me should our paths cross again. They specialize in intelligence, they can figure something out.

"I'm not really Phanza's apprentice. My name is Zaliza Vyvan and I am a surrounding Padawan of the Jedi Order." I declared, thinking that the remark would have more of an impact than it did, though, perhaps that is not entirely true. I think it is possible that my reveal did have an impact, but, considering that Rahlkann was a master spy and wore cybernetics over his eyes to show that, he wasn't exactly going to reveal anything with an expression. I would imagine that high level Sith spying and espionage requires a rather significant Sabaac face. In any case, I instinctively backed up into the line with Phanza and the rest of our companions, waiting to hear what the Operator's reaction was going to be.

"Well..." Rahlkann began slowly, no doubt this was a deliberate effort with no purpose other than to raise suspense and keep us terrified for our lives. I wasn't sure if that was necessarily a smart thing to do in the presence of a Sith Lord, but Phanza has proven herself to be merciful and restrained in tough scenarios, this is no exception, though I'm sure the importance of the Intelligentsia plays into that. Phanza said it herself, she doesn't want to be the one to ruin centuries of cooperation between Taaszon and their semi-autonomous network of spies. So perhaps this was a different kind of mercy and restraint. Nar Shaddaa was yet a different kind, with Phanza knowing that she wasn't prepared to fight Vader, an Inquisitor, and their whole force of stormtroopers, but, she could, instead, outsmart them for just long enough to escape them. Of course, the fact that Thonna let us go was fortunate as well, but even then, Phanza's plan had gotten us so far that there was only an Inquisitor between us and our ship, with Phanza keeping her lightsaber no less.

"On with it," Phanza urged Rahlkann, making the cyborg cease his theatrics, after all, we still, potentially, had three people's worth of secrets to go through. I was a bit worried about Yevenna, yes, she demonstrated that she could be serious and quiet under pressure, but she is also talkative by nature, I didn't want to see her accidentally reveal anything, and I saw how paranoid Phanza was all about this, even back on Taaszon, and I'm sure that Ceyla has her reservations as well. I had to, therefore, hope that my own secret was enough for all of us, but I had to admit that I doubted Rahlkann would accept that. Even if the information truly was just as valuable, if not more so, to what he gave us on the Empire, he had the opportunity to get information out of Lady Attam herself, and he was going to take it. I could already guess that Phanza has been historically tight-lipped to him, and Rahlkann wanted to change that.

"The truth of your identity, Ms. Vyvan, is indeed a valuable bit of information. Both about yourself, about what Lady Attam is up to, and for what it says about potential survivors of Order 66. You are free to go. The others, however, are not." true to my predictions, even though this information does impact Phanza - which Operator Rahlkann admitted himself - he still wants information from her directly. I was free to go, but I still stayed right here, waiting for my friends to wish, and hoping that nothing was going to happen to Ceyla, Yevenna, or Phanza. I wasn't exactly comfortable here, surrounded by armed spies and their soldiers, but I was even less comfortable with the idea of leaving my friends to deal with this themselves. Phanza was the only reason why I managed to escape Ypherro, she's the only reason that Ullara's sacrifice can mean anything, I was forever going to be grateful for that and everything that she's done for me since. Yevenna, meanwhile, is someone who I can really talk to and trust on Taaszon, and I'm grateful for her friendship. Ceyla, then, is important to me as a friend and ally of both Phanza and Yevenna. I wasn't going to let anything happen to these three if I can prevent it, not after what happened to Master Avdune.

"Three Mandalorian warriors from our enclave recently went on a raid into Hutt territory. They managed to uncover a secret deal between Sokkuta the Hutt and the Bounty Hunters Guild to remove him from the Black Sun Syndicate." Ceyla spoke next, revealing some information that was valuable, yet didn't say anything about Phanza or her operations. Instead, she revealed some news about the Black Sun Syndicate potentially beginning to crumble after the events on Mandalore, with Sokkuta, a minor Hutt warlord, trying to escape. Sokkuta's success or failure could determine the future of the Black Sun Syndicate, especially since Darth Maul hasn't resurfaced yet. Perhaps he is still paranoid over Order 66, given that he was apparently in Republic custody when the order was issued. A Sith as dangerous and unpredictable as Maul on the loose was dangerous, but, right now, it was the Empire's problem.

"Interesting, I shall be sending agents to both Sokkuta's camp and the Black Sun then." Rahlkann revealed, the Operator - presumably the rank indicated that he had some level of control over the Intelligentsia, perhaps conducting the operatives beneath him - indicated he wanted to play both sides of that potential squabble. I couldn't see any honor or justice in that, but the spy business isn't about honor or justice I suppose, it never was. Rahlkann and the Intelligentsia were interested about learning more and having leverage over more of the galaxy, they were, presumably, also interested in furthering Taaszon's interests. Perhaps, I should say, they were interested in furthering what they perceived as in Taaszon's interests, but the point remains. This means that, rather than sending spies out for ideological or political reasons, Rahlkann is sending them out to maximize his own position relative to anyone and everyone else, both friend and foe. I suppose the saying in his world goes, friend or foe, you never knew who will be which at any given time. In any case, Yevenna stepped up to speak next.

"It was a few months ago when I was fighting the separatists on New Ziost with some other Mandalorians. We came across and defeated a group of new commando droids. These were updated models with more armor, more speed, and a deadly set of gadgets to go with the typical stealth and the blades. We managed to find the blueprints of these droids with the prototypes and the locations of the factories. It may be worth it to look into what the Empire is now going with those factories." Yevenna's bit of intelligence was wordy, but, again, she managed to avoid revealing anything about Phanza and her power base directly. Instead, she had this story about the droids and handed over a datastick with the information on it - perhaps Ceyla and Yevenna had prepared for this before the fact - and Rahlkann did accept it. Curiously, he slipped it up the sleeve of his overcoat then seemed to focus on his lenses for awhile - did his cybernetics include a data drive in his wrist? It seemed ridiculous, but, considering what we've seen of the Intelligentsia so far, it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world.

"Not the most up to date information, I admit, but I suppose it will do. I didn't expect much more from a Mandalorian in training." Operator Rahlkann sighed, disparaging Yevenna Aphlen for no reason as he accepted the information. I could see now why Lady Attam was no fan of the Intelligentsia now. Speaking of Phanza, she now became the object of everyone's attention: Rahlkann finally wanted to gain information on her and the rest of us wanted to know how Phanza was going to try and wiggle her way out of this one. I was somewhat disappointed, I revealed something so important to me, but it really had no effect - I couldn't help but think my information would be more valuable if I was more careful about hiding who I was, perhaps the Intelligentsia already knew about me, or at least had suspicions - Ceyla and Yevenna managed to get away with giving relatively minor information, but Rahlkann wasn't looking for their information anyway. This was always about getting something out of Phanza, interrogating the rest of us four was just a bonus for the Intelligentsia. The Human Cyborg smirked as he finally spoke "Well, well Lady Attam, the moment of truth. I gave you what you wanted on the Empire, all of your friends paid their price, now it's time for you to pay yours."

"How is this for information? From what I can tell, two of the five operatives you have behind you are deceiving you. They aren't loyal to the Intelligentsia, they're counterespionage agents from the Chiss. They answer to Admiral Wurra'thuundo'oma and have been ever since they got into the Intelligentsia. Let me and my friends out of here, and I will reveal which two I'm speaking of." Phanza smirked in return, revealing her own gambit. I noticed she had been quiet during all of this, even in the Force, but I suppose that is because she was prodding Rahlkann and his men, trying to find a weakness, trying to find an opening, anything to avoid having to actually give information about herself. It was a bold move, and it was also a somewhat shocking remainder that Phanza was a Sith Lord and she was going to do what Sith Lords did. That included violating people's mental state and privacy if it suited her needs, that included putting other people's lives at risk, and that included this deception and underhandedness. Rahlkann looked at me for a moment, perhaps hoping that, as a Jedi, I would do something, and perhaps I should have, but I didn't. I stood there and let Phanza make her threats, thinking that this was for the greater good.

"No deal." Operator Rahlkann repealed and pulled a device of some sort from his coat. My eyes widened as it took just a few button presses before all five of the men in question were electrocuted and killed, their corpses unceremoniously falling to the ground. All five of them were instantly executed on mere suspicion that just two of them were traitors, and, as if that wasn't bad enough, before they even hit the ground, Rahlkann pressed another few buttons. I watched, appalled, as five more men entered the room, taking the places of the dead - in some cases, literally stepping over the bodies of the dead - in yet another harsh reminder of the fact that I was dealing with Sith. Rahlkann, letting the moment sink in, soon spoke again "You know what I am capable of, Lady Attam, and you know what information I want. The location and the access codes of the ancient Sith cybernetic factory on Manaan, now."

"Underwater, northwest quadrant. There is a coral reef growing over the facility right now, but the place itself is waterproof. Your exact location and the access codes are on this datastick. Satisfied?" Phanza's voice sunk an octave as, without a physical movement, she used the Force to levitate a datastick off her belt over to Operator Rahlkann. It was just as much of a show of force as Rahlkann executing the five men. Rahlkann could and would kill his own men with just the press of a few buttons if necessary, but Phanza had the Force, and she could kill him without the Cyborg even being able to see it coming. No amount of information of intelligence could compete with the Force, and, even though Rahlkann now had this cybernetic facility which he apparently wanted, he would never have the Force. It was a chilling reminder of Phanza's power and her willingness to use it all, Light or Dark.

"Six years I have waited for this day. Pleasure doing business with you, Lady Attam. You and your companions are free to go." Operator Rahlkann spoke, then having the arrogance to turn around and walk away. I wasn't even part of this life or this civilization, but even I knew you couldn't turn your back on a Sith Lord, not like that. I took a deep breath, just waiting for the moment that Phanza snapped and killed Operator Rahlkann, and I wouldn't have even really blamed her for doing it. Operator Rahlkann was clearly not a good man, willing to kill five men just because of his stubbornness over this information. This particular piece of information too - all of this, because Phanza knew about an ancient laboratory that Rahlkann wanted access to, for even more cybernetics no less - it all seemed so worthless and so morbid over nothing. To her credit, Phanza simply released an exhale, turned around, and walked back to the elevator, the four of us following right behind her. We rode the elevator up and walked back on board the _Ultimate_, simple as that. Not a word was uttered until we were onboard the ship.

* * *

"Ceyla, set a course for Taaszon. I'm going to my room." was the first thing out of Phanza's voice when we boarded the ship, the Nautolan not even turning around as she spoke, her sentence came out short and clipped. Phanza was struggling to stay composed and she did as much as she could to keep up the regal and confident image before storming off to her room. The Mandalorians took their helmets off and went to the cockpit while I stood there for a moment, conflicted. I heard the engines fire up, the sound drawing out the uneven patter of water dripping off of my robes, and I felt the ship leave the landing pad and the Intelligentsia base behind, soon to leave Cipher-9 altogether, but I stayed standing right where I was. I wanted to speak with Phanza, to make sure she was okay, but I wasn't sure if this was the right time. She seemed so upset, and part of me wanted to just give her space, but another part of me knew that wasn't the right thing to do. I knew better than most people what it's like to be trapped with your own negative thoughts and feelings -and even though I'm nowhere near solving my own issues - I wanted to help Phanza right now. I took a deep breath, mentally confirmed my decision, and headed off to her room, best intentions in mind.

I felt Phanza's mood before I saw her. The rage was heavy in the air, as if particles of the natural Force itself, floating in the air, were being dragged to her, dragged to this source of raw power and anger right here. I stopped in the doorway, seeing Phanza standing in the middle of her room, hands balled up into fists, breathing heavy, and her power concentrating even thicker this close, getting to the point where it was starting to be reminiscent of Grand Duchess Voytana and her throne room. The Force itself was gravitating around her, waiting for Phanza to release it, waiting for the outburst. For the first time, perhaps ever, I was truly frightened of the Nautolan, not because I thought she would do anything to me, but because of the idea of what she could do. I heard her inhale sharply, the bestial noise of a predator far larger than her, and I saw her turn her head. Her large black eyes were narrowed, their obsidian surface filled with the glassy reflection of a thousand silent screams of the unknown victims of the Dark Side, these were the eyes of a full-fledged Sith Lord.

This was the side of Phanza that Master Avdune had warned me about, the side the Jedi were always expecting to come out, and I thought my whole new world view was shattering. I thought that everything I believed about Lady Attam, about how she was really a good presence, more of a middle-ground purple than the Dark Side red I had been warned about, was wrong. I was terrified that she truly was a Sith Lord, that this was all a manipulation to turn me into her apprentice, and that all it took to make Phanza drop her facade was Operator Rahlkann getting one over her, but then, Phanza's eyes softened, the chokehold on power released, and I released a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. Phanza was capable of being the apex predator, she was capable of great disasters and destruction, but that wasn't her, in reality, she was a strong and ambitious woman, with real emotions and pain. Rahlkann grilling her for information, this whole trip to Cipher-9 really, it hurt her. This experience bit into Phanza's pride, it upset the pedestal she built for herself, and that hurt her. This wasn't horror, this was humanity.

"The facility on Manaan is an ancient underwater laboratory. The Sith Empire was using this facility to experiment with Kolto-injecting, reflex-enhancing cybernetics. The idea was to heal wounds and inject steroids to soldiers during the battle, always keeping them at peak efficiency and preventing casualties due to wounds or exhaustion. Of course, the Sith Empire collapsed before the research there was complete, but my spies uncovered the facility a few years ago. Operator Rahlkann, of course, found out about this, and he's wanted to know the location of that facility ever since. I wanted to use the research to help Taaszon, to potentially reach the breakthrough our predecessors were looking for and unlock the secret to an army of super-soldiers, but my time and resources have been distracted elsewhere. Right now, I can only spare enough to maintain the research we have, no expansions, no breakthroughs right now. Rahlkann, however, has no interest in the project or in improving our troops. Rahlkann just wants the facility and the research for himself, adding to his own list of cybernetics." Phanza explained, giving me the whole story.

I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. The cybernetics on the soldiers seemed immoral, but, considering I spent most of my last few years as a Jedi fighting alongside artificially grown child soldiers, I can't really judge that, and, under present circumstances, I could definitely see why Phanza would want to revive such a progress. Instead though, the information on this facility was given to Rahlkann, who would no doubt raid the facility for himself, modifying his own body at the expense of everyone else. I didn't know how to feel, I knew that Phanza's anger was justified, to an extent anyway, and I knew that Operator Rahlkann was absolutely the villain in this situation, but that didn't change the fact that Phanza's anger really did terrify me there. She is composed, pleasant even in her normal persona, but she is absolutely capable of great darkness and bloodshed, and this was a harsh reality check for me. I didn't want to forgive this, I didn't want to start finding situations where Sith behavior was acceptable, but I also didn't want to make Phanza feel wrong or isolated right now, not after she helped me so much. It was a difficult situation, but...I guess the Jedi thing to do would be to be forgiving and nonjudgmental, to take the moral high ground. The high ground was always important to the Jedi, I remember Master Kenobi emphasizing that while assisting Master Yoda on a lesson.

"I know this was unfortunate Phanza, I know, but we have to stay focused. We have the information we need now, three Imperial star destroyers, with combat data seemingly based on Taaszon. We absolutely need to do something about these ships and this is the best opportunity we're gonna get." I tried to remind Phanza of our mission, letting her know that she didn't trade away that information for nothing. We had a group of ships, very possibly ships that are going to attack the Grand Duchy of Taaszon, and we have an opportunity to attack them without being the most obvious culprits. An opportunity like this is not going to come up again, so we're going to need to seize it. I wasn't crazy about this mission, we would be killing a lot of clones, including noncombatants, and we were going to, very likely, cause reprisals against the innocent - in this case anyway - separatist holdouts, but that isn't what Phanza needs to hear right now. There is also the fact that telling Rahlkann where the laboratory is doesn't guarantee anything. Phanza could still have the location secured, locked down, or perhaps even gutted before the Intelligentsia member even has the chance to get to Manaan. This situation isn't over yet, no need to despair.

"Right, right, of course. We're going to Taaszon to pick up some supplies and a cloaking device, then we're going to head to the space station over Loukhamii." Phanza announced, regaining her composure and her focus. I could tell that she was still stressed out over Rahlkann, both from her facial expression and because of what I felt through our bond, but she wasn't going to let it interfere with our mission. I took a long look at the Nautolan, making sure she was okay, but the red-skinned Nautolan Sith Lord had sunk fully into her mission, ignoring her own feelings and trying to keep Operator Rahlkann out of her mind. I accepted that this was going to be the best I get out of Phanza and I slipped out of the room, heading to my quarters instead. We would return to Taaszon, make our final preparations for the mission, then head out to face the Empire for the first time. A cloaking device was a wise decision, both because it would actually allow us to slip past the Imperial defenses, and because it would conceal the fact that the _Ultimate_ is obviously not a separatist design. Phanza, even in her distress, was able to avoid mistakes in such a mission, and that have me some confidence. This could actually work.

* * *

"Separatist explosives. We confiscated these from the supplies left over from the Battle of Imperius Prime. We don't intend to leave much of the space station or the star destroyers behind, but, if the Empire does manage an investigation, we want to be extra careful." Phanza explained as some of her soldiers wheeled a crate of separatist charges into the hangar. These were relatively standard bombs, nothing created specifically for the invasion of Taaszon. We weren't sure what the Loukhamii resistance was armed with, but it was more than conceivable that any separatist resistance could be equipped with this kind of weaponry. Phanza really had thought of everything, to the point that she handed me the pair of custom blaster pistols I had on Nar Shaddaa - using lightsaber would leave behind the tell tale scorch marks behind - though we weren't going so far as to wear disguises. First of all, we didn't want to dress like our Nar Shaddaa disguises as the Empire has seen them, second of all, we don't intend to leave any evidence of our identity behind. So long as all the physical evidence points to a separatist attack and no one is around to say otherwise, it doesn't matter what we wear on such a mission.

"Lady Attam and I are going to place explosives on the space station itself. We want you two to go out and arm explosives on the reactors of the star destroyers. This way, we have to place more bombs while you two need to cover more distance." Ceyla explained, giving out the different jobs for her and Phanza, and then Yevenna and I. It was an understandable compromise, and, in truth, Phanza and Ceyla would have to cover some significant ground as well. They would need to place bombs on the superstructure of the space station, on the reactor, the back-up generators, and the security room, in order to destroy any evidence of our presence. All we really needed to do was to hit the three reactors in the engine rooms of the three ships, all of which would be configured identically. I wasn't sure where exactly the _Constitution_, the _Benevolence_, and the _Geonosian_ had served during the Clone Wars - though I could predict that the latter either served at Geonosis or was named after the battle - though I had plenty of experience onboard the Venator-class ships, particularly the _Sage_.

"Understood Ceyla, I won't let you down, I promise!" Yevenna enthusiastically agreed, I smiled. The Mirialan definitely answered with a few more words than were strictly necessary and she was a bit too excitable for her role, but she was my friend and I was going to be fighting alongside her. I did think that her personality clashed with the stereotypical image of the Mandalorian, but that didn't mean that I disliked it, actually, I found her pleasant and refreshing to be around. After everything I had experienced lately, all the loss, the war, and the grim nature of the galaxy, it was nice to see someone who was legitimately a happy person, by nature no less. I also thought it made her more of an individual. I don't think I'd like a typical Mandalorian this much.

"Good, lets go." Phanza gave the command and we all boarded the _Ultimate_ once again. I took a seat in the cockpit next to Yevenna, Ceyla in the pilot's seat and Phanza next to her, the separated by the navicompter and the receptacle for the wayfinder. I took a deep breath as I realized I was going to see clones again, thousands of identical faces of my former friends and comrades, just under those all too familiar helmets. I was going to have to shoot many of them dead, after all, Phanza was clear that no witnesses was crucial to this operation. Not only did I have to do that, but I needed to kill them quickly. Ideally, all the clones would die before they could send any outside report, if that didn't work, then the plan was to get in and out before Imperial reinforcements arrived. That second part was, of course, easier said than done, and that only added to the stress of this mission.

* * *

The _Ultimate_ stopped short of Loukhamii, this was in order to activate the cloaking device. Suddenly, the ship became invisible from the outside, and, not only that, but active jamming technology worked to make it invisible on any radar or scanners, particles of ice from the rings of Taaszon were dumped over the engines too, to mask the heat presence of the thrusters. The cloaking device and the accessories to it really did make the ship disappear, but it came with a price. A number of prices really, one: the cloaking device didn't work in hyperspace, so an immediate fast escape wasn't an option if something did give us away. Two: the _Ultimate_ had its black angular armored plating, some of these plates could retract to reveal the ship's extensive arsenal, however, the cloaking device couldn't handle that, so weapons weren't an option either. Finally: while invisible at a distance, we could still be seen up closer by the naked eye - it was difficult to miss a starship-shaped distortion of the stars and wild space behind it - meaning our cover would be blown as soon as we made a move to actually enter the space station. It was imperfect, but we didn't exactly have any better options, so I readied my two blaster pistols.

They weren't ideal, I would much rather have had my double-bladed lightsaber, but I understood the present circumstances. It didn't matter what weapon I was most comfortable with, it mattered what weapons would allow for plausible deniability - everything we had to use on this mission was either going to be separatist equipment or things that the separatists could conceivably get - now, at the same time, we weren't exactly going to riddle separatist paraphernalia around the place either. It had to be conceivable as a rogue attack by a separatist survival cell, one which would obviously not want to be caught. I, especially, wanted that. It was perhaps a little naive of me, but I wanted to hope that there was a conceivable way for this mission to end without the Empire identifying a suspect. I wanted the Empire to have to wonder who did it, because maybe that way those on Loukhamii wouldn't have to suffer for our crimes. I could tell myself that they were separatists and that they deserved it, but I knew that wasn't true.

Separatist civilians were innocent of the Clone Wars. They legitimately believed that the Republic was going down the wrong path and they wanted to break away, they didn't know that their cause had been co-opted by corporate interests and, worse, the Sith. They were victims of Palpatine just as much as the people of the former Republic, and the people of Loukhamii were even going so far as to resist Palpatine and his reign. These separatist holdouts weren't our enemies, they never were, and, perhaps, they could even serve as our allies. I did recognize that I was, perhaps, being a bit too idealistic though. Phanza and the rest of us didn't want to spend any more time in the Loukhamii system than strictly necessary, and the Empire wold attack whoever they damn well please, regardless of our actions. This might spark reprisals, but make no mistake, Palpatine intended to crush this resistance sooner rather than later anyway. At least, that is what I tried to tell myself to justify this mission for myself, because I knew that this was the right thing for Taaszon.

"Our scanners show that a group of ARC fighters are preparing for a patrol. We're going to have to take that opportunity to slip into the hangar. The rayshield will be open and, if we do stay out, the fighters will catch us." Ceyla explained, showing that it truly was now or never. I took a deep breath and steeled myself as the three fighters left the hanger. The colorful, heroic red and white paint scheme of the Republic fighters was replaced with a uniform gray and black scheme, as if it was Palpatine's whole mission to sanitize the galaxy and rob it of all individuality. Everything had to fit his austere Imperial theme, everything had to be forced to submit before the uniform image of the Empire. I didn't have much time to remark on these fighters however, because, soon after, the _Ultimate_ lurched forward. Ceyla tightly turned the ship left into the hangar, docking in the space station. The cloaking device no longer necessary, Ceyla and Phanza got to work, dropping the disguise and opening up some of the panels on the ship, revealing both the landing gear and the weapons.

"I'm deploying the localized jammer, we have enough power to keep this hangar from reporting to the security office for thirty minutes." Phanza explained, activity a device on the ship and giving her and Ceyla a time table with which to destroy the security office. At the same time, Ceyla used a gun mounted on the nose of the craft to gun down the clones in the hangar, clearing a landing zone for us. Yevenna and I, meanwhile, got up and heading to the landing ramp, standing there at the ready, just waiting for the ramp to open before storming out of the ship and hitting the remaining clones hard. I was somewhat relieved at this stage, actually preferring that I had the blaster pistols now. Shooting at the clones was a lot more impersonal compared to having to go face to face with my corner comrades and cut them up. Though again, that was mostly just me struggling to find a bright side to this situation.

"The ramp is opening, get ready!" Yevenna shouted as soon as we touched down and the landing ramp began lowering. I took one more breath and readied myself, feeling the Force flow through me as we readied ourselves. Finally, the ramp hit the ground and the two of us stormed out, Yevenna eagerly opening fire with her twin pistols and I followed with slower, less experienced shots. Taking time to aim and using the Force to augment my shots did help me score hits on the clones, but I clearly was not as experienced in this department as the Mandalorian was. I kept my high accuracy approach as Yevenna launched herself into the air with her jetpack, gunning down the clones who took cover. Anyone who popped up was quickly shot down by me, and anyone who remained ducked down felt Yevenna come down with a storm of blaster fire on them. We were making good progress, and, at the same time, Ceyla and Phanza emerged from the cockpit. I watched as Ceyla, seizing the opportunity, released her backpack missile on the control center for the hangar, ensuring that they couldn't contact the security office even if we stopped jamming them. Of course, the security office would still respond if they received no word from this hangar after some time, but Ceyla and Phanza were more than capable of neutralizing the security office before then.

Black laser bolts flew threw the room as Phanza opened fire with a long and elegant scoped blaster pistol. I could clearly tell that Phanza Attam favored her lightsaber, as all Force users did, but she seemed to look perfect with this blaster pistol as well. The blaster bolts themselves were interesting - they were reminiscent of her red and black lightsaber, but rather than the red glow, these black bolts seemed to have a plain white one - on top of that, they were also extremely deadly. As Phanza shot two clones dead, I noticed that the wounds still burned with a black and white smoke, exactly the same color as her blaster pistol. It was a deadly weapon, certainly not one I wanted to be on the receiving end of, and Phanza seemed almost arrogant as she holstered the weapon yet again. The Nautolan smirked as well, which didn't exactly help matters. Perhaps she was taking some of her aggression at Operator Rahlkann out on these clones.

"Call us on the mics if anything goes wrong, otherwise, head right back here when you're done. If we arrive first, we'll have the ship fired up and ready to go, otherwise, you fire up the ship and wait for us." Phanza ordered as we split up. A fast escape was important to this plan, after all, it only took the slightest mistake to have the Empire come crashing down on us. That is why I think Phanza and Ceyla are going to head for the security room first - I would imagine that they would even go so far as to clear it out before rigging it to blow - and I hope they do, because I do no want to see any one of these three ships getting word of our attack and slipping away, especially not if Yevenna and I were onboard when it happened. I think the two of us are good fighters, but I can't see us two commandeering a star destroyer all on our own. In any case, I hope it doesn't come to that, I would prefer if this operation goes smoothly.

Yevenna and I headed out of the hangar and followed the circular structure of the space station - the Empire was still relying on Republic designs and equipment, I've been on stations of this exact design once or twice before - heading to the docks for the first of the three star destroyers. As we walked, I noticed that the red armored Mandalorian had holstered her pistols and switched to the rifle she had with her ever since we left for Cipher-9, and I had to imagine that meant that her instincts were expecting the arrival of some clones any moment now. The hallway was about to narrow and straighten out when Yevenna suddenly took cover on one side of the narrowing, I mimicked her actions on the opposite side, raising an eyebrow as I wondered what was going on. The Mandalorian helmet, unfortunately, wasn't all that expressive. Yevenna threw a charge onto the roof - a little disk off of her belt - and she motioned for me to wait. It was soon revealed why as a patrol of clones rounded the corner and rushed into the hallway.

The clones filed in, perhaps even to investigation the commotion in the hangar, but then Yevenna deployed her charge. A sonic boom filled the hallway, killing some clones instantly, knocking others around, and disorientating the rest. I didn't even hesitate and I popped out of cover and unloaded both my blaster pistols into the hall, taking down any clones who survived, before Yevenna could even spring into action with her rifle. The last clone fell and I lowered my arms, holstering my blasters, and taking a moment to realize what I had done. A whole hallway of dead clone troopers, my former friends, right in front of me, and it was my doing. Perhaps I would've been able to stomach it under different circumstances, perhaps I would have been able to use their faceless helmets to dehumanize them in my mind, but the visor of the clone right under the charge had been shattered. I saw, through the mangled remains of that helmet, the face of the clones I had fought with. I saw the faces of Warlock, Wishlist, Warden, Witchcraft, Winch...all of them. They may have betrayed me, they may have led to Master Avdune's death, but they saved my life so many times before that, they fought alongside me so many times, they had been my friends...

"Zaliza...I'm so-look, I'm sorry, but...we need to keep going. We still have a mission to complete. A mission, you remember that right? You're with me, Zaliza, right? Me? Yevenna Aphlen? Your friend?" Yevenna asked, the Mirialan even taking off her helmet out of worry over how disconnected I seemed in that moment, but I snapped out of it. She was right, we did have a mission to finish, and we haven't even armed one of the cruisers yet. I was well aware of the fact that clones were going to die in this mission - we were blowing up three Venators and a space station after all - so why did it affect me so much? These men, these particular men even, could be Jedi killers for all I know. They may have gunned down a Jedi Knight or even a Master without a second thought, because of what? Brainwashing? Mind control chips? I wasn't entirely sure, but I did know that I shouldn't have complete sympathy for these clones. It didn't matter if they looked like my former comrades, right now, they were instruments of Palpatine, working to make the galaxy suffer.

"Right, right, lets go." I finally recovered, Yevenna and I rushing off the the first of the three ships - though not before Yevenna picked up the charge she used, paying close attention to not leaving behind any damming evidence - our first target. I wasn't sure exactly which ship we were hitting and when we were doing it - even if ships had their own strong identity before the Imperial takeover, Palpatine was making all of that disappear now - but I did know that we reached the first ship without much further resistance. Whichever ship this was, they were all configured basically the same, and we had a reactor to strike. Thus, Yevenna and I proceeded through the open airlock, exiting the space station and entering the first star destroyer. I took note of the fact that the decor hardly changed as we switched over, the same uniform interior design present in both the space station and this star destroyer. Considering that the airlock had been entirely open when we passed through - the space station had an insulating sleeve over the airlock, meaning that doors weren't necessary in this case, the whole apparatus was sealed shut from space - an untrained eye may not even recognize we changed vessels.

"This way," I whispered to Yevenna as I led the way to the engine room, doing my best to avoid the clone troopers. Hiding was somewhat easier said than done considering that I was dressed in black and purple robes while Yevenna was in a red and black suit of Mandalorian armor - neither of which particularly blended in with the gray, black, and white decor of a star destroyer - but the ship was also a big place and we were able to stay out of the path of the patrols we did encounter, regardless of our colorful outfits. We could win a fair fight against these patrols, we had the firepower to do so, but Yevenna and I both preferred not to try it - first of all because any commotion could draw more clones to the scene, second of all because I didn't particularly want to kill any more clones - managing to make our way to the engine level. I covered Yevenna as she took out a security spike and opened up the door to the engine room, knowing that there would be guards inside and that particular fight would be unavoidable.

"Ready? Now!" Yevenna declared, the door opened and I immediately rose a blaster and shot the clone at the communication station dead - the last thing we needed was to get to the engine room only for the clones to sound the alarm - the other clones rose their blasters at me in response. I reached into the Force, not trusting my eyesight, but rather trusting in the natural power within me to line up my blaster and pull the trigger, and the Force didn't let me down. Time and time again, my shots landed, and, at the same time, Yevenna opened fire with her rifle, rapidly finishing off the remaining clones before any of them could make it to the communication station. A silent glance at each other and we both got to work, Yevenna Aphlen heading to arm the reactor, while I set to work cleaning this mess up, not trying to leave any evidence behind. We had to make sure the clones would remain unaware of our activities for long enough for us to get everything rigged to blow. An empty engine room was suspicious, but an engine room with dead bodies all over it left no room for interpretation.

I started with gently lifting the dead clone off of the communication console, making sure his body didn't bump into any of the buttons on the console and accidentally alert the bridge. I managed to maneuver the clone out of the console and then, left without much other option, I unceremoniously dumped him off the catwalk. The reactor was essentially in a massive room, extending from the bottom of the star destroyer all the way to the top of it, and the exterior walls were a far way off as well, and all of this was as a safety measure. An explosion of the reactor would take out the whole ship and then some, there's no avoiding that, but this large room was designed to shield other parts of the ship in the event of a radioactive leak or a power surge off of the reactor. Regardless of the reasoning, the room was so big it looked like an endless drop from this catwalk, so I threw the clone corpses down there, encasing them in the shadows. The last clone body was disposed of as Yevenna finished priming the explosive on the reactor - buried in such a place where it was not immediately evident - again, the point was not to avoid suspicion, simply to avoid getting caught for long enough for our plan to succeed.

"One down, two to go." Yevenna summarized as we made our way out of the engine room and off the ship, continuing our mission.

* * *

"We're priming the second engine room, how is it going on your end?" I asked Phanza over the holocommunicator as, the second time around, I decided to be quite a bit smarted about disposing of the clones. Rather than manually throwing each of them over the edge, I levitating their bodies up with the Force and released them over the void, letting the ship's artificial gravity do the rest. That, obviously, meaning that I was done before Yevenna was, so, while keeping an eye out for future intruders, I took the opportunity to contact Phanza, wondering how the Nautolan Sith and the Echani Mandalorian were doing.

"We took over and neutralized the security center, placing the separatist charges. Right now, Ceyla and I are placing charges on the superstructure of the space station. That way, anything that survives the explosions within the base and off the star destroyers suffers from the depressurization." Phanza explained, revealing the overlapping contingencies within her plan. Between the explosions inside the space station and the reactors of three star destroyers going off right next to the space station, it was very likely that the whole thing would be destroyed, but, even if it wasn't, the exposure to open space would finish the job. The space station and the star destroyers weren't going to survive this operation, we were sure of that. Technically speaking, the star destroyers were the only necessary target anyway, since they had the combat data, but taking out the space station would, one: hurt the Empire more, and two: make more sense as an operation by the Loukhamii separatists. A group trying to liberate their whole planet would want to destroy the Empire's whole presence in the skies above them, not just the three star destroyers dispatched to crush them. We were doing everything we could to maintain this deception.

"How exactly are you doing that?" I asked. Ceyla had her jetpack, so presumably the Mandalorian was just floating as she armed bombs to the supporting pillars of the super structure, but how was Phanza doing that?

"I'm levitating, obviously. I would've thought that holding a 110 pound object still for a few moments at a time with the Force was well within your skill level." Phanza replied, and I could practically feel the Sith Lord smirking as she spoke. Yes, I could hold a Phanza sized object still for a few moments, even pull her back up if I had enough focus, but it took quite a bit of focus and spatial awareness to do that to yourself. There was also the fact that, as Phanza has already demonstrated a fair bit, she's proficient enough in using the Force that she doesn't need to channel her power through her arm. If I was holding Phanza still, I would have to reach for her, sending the power through my hand, but she's obviously levitating herself just fine. That was indicative of a level of ability with the Force that I simply didn't possess, and it only made Lady Attam seem that much more powerful.

"You don't have to mock me." I replied, my tone was tight in reply. Not only was Phanza flaunting her own power, but the way she said it implied that this was a simply, almost juvenile ability, as if it was laughable that I was a Force user this old who couldn't levitate. Well, the fact is, I can't levitate, I wouldn't trust myself over that kind of drop, even if I do know I could hold an object of my weight with the Force. I mean, I just held and dropped those clones who were, one: larger than me, and two: wearing a suit of armor, but I didn't trust myself levitating myself. It was easier to focus on an external object than focusing on holding myself, and I didn't care if that made me sound weak or stupid in some way. I knew I was capable of doing great things with the Force - this whole mission I've been throwing clones a lot and using the Force to aim my shots - but I also knew that I had limits.

"I'm not mocking you, Zaliza. In fact, I believe that you're actually stronger than me in the Force. The only thing that is potentially holding you back is your unwillingness to use all sides of the Force. The Force is not an omnipotent being waiting to punish you, it is a natural force and you have the ability to manipulate it, to tap into it, and to use it. I am one hundred percent confident that you could learn to levitate." Phanza explained, again getting into her ideology, basically reducing the Force to a weapon. I had to admit, she did make it sound a bit foolish to think that the Force was a greater being than we were, as if it was some boogeyman that could hit back at any moment. Perhaps the Force wasn't that, but there were absolutely consequences to abusing the Force. The hideous, gray, scarred face of Chancellor Palpatine nowadays is proof of that, a disfigured old man, but one with all of the power of the Dark Side at his disposal. I know that Phanza insists that the Force can be forced to submit and the Dark Side can be used without consequences, but I have to admit, I find that hard to believe.

"Look...now is not the time. We'll talk on the ship or something." I deviated, ending the call as I saw Yevenna finish up with the bomb. The blue hologram of Phanza faded away and I put my communicator away before the two of us slipped out of the second engine room. Two of the star destroyers were armed to blow, the security center of the space station was taken over, and Phanza and Ceyla were arming the super structure itself - we were almost done with this mission. I didn't want to take a sigh of relief too early, but this mission was going well, and, in fact, it continued going well. Yevenna and I even managed to get off of the second ship, head through the space station, and board the third Venator without getting caught, this mission was going better than I could have possibly expected. Of course, I loved that this was going well, I didn't want to have to fight and kill clone troopers - now, of course, I was completely aware of the fact that all of the clones on these vessels were going to die when we blew up the separatist explosives, but that was far less personal - I understood that this was a necessary act in opposition for the Empire, but it still hurt to kill the faces of the people who I fought alongside for the entire Clone Wars.

Yevenna Aphlen and I managed to sneak through the star destroyer yet again, another good sign. Once again, the Mandalorian hacked the door - she was, admittedly, better at demolitions and hacking than I was - one consequence of being a Jedi is an overdependence on the Force and my lightsaber. In conventional circumstances, I would cut down this door with my lightsaber and then blow the clones away with the Force, but we were trying to be stealthy here, hiding our identity and trying to make this attack seem like a separatist strike. I took a deep breath and, once the door opened, I shot down the clones again, clearing the first walkway. The four catwalks of this room converged on the reactor, and Yevenna and I moved out as we gunned down the clones on the other walkways, trying to be rapid about this. In these fights, speed was of the essence, because any moment the clones could call for reinforcements. A final two clones from the opposite walkway rounded the reactor. I rose my left hand and gunned down the one on the left while, next to me, Yevenna raised one of her blaster pistols and killed the one on the right, our actions in perfect sync. Aphlen holstered her pistol and went to work arming the final reactor as I used the Force to dispose of the clones.

"...protocols, with which our troops will be ready to - where are the patrols?" I ducked behind the communication console and Yevenna used the reactor for cover while still arming the charge, both of us trying to hide from the two Imperial officers who just entered the room. I cursed mentally, this was not good. One officer unholstered his blaster pistol and the other readied his com, ready to contact the bridge. Ideally, Yevenna and I would shoot one each, but she was busy arming the reactor, meaning that it wasn't an option this case. I did, however, have two pistols in my capacity. I could, theoretically, shoot both, but I was running out of time. The first officer started rounding the reactor, coming close to discovering Yevenna, while the other kept standing on the other side of the reactor, where I couldn't shoot him directly. I took a deep breath and made a decision, based on the fact that Phanza said I was strong in the Force.

I aimed my blaster pistol at the one rounding the reactor, confident in my ability to hit him directly without the Force, and I prepared to use the Force to make my second shot work. I was going to shoot up in the arm with my right blaster and, then, I was going to use the Force to angle it down and to the left, going back around the reactor and killing the second officer. I exhaled, mentally preparing myself, and I took my shots. The first officer, rounding the reactor on the left, was shot in the far shoulder, not a fatal shot, but the force of it also knocked him off the platform, sending him screaming to his death. That scream wouldn't told the second officer exactly what was going on and he could've alerted the bridge if I wasn't careful, but, fortunately, both shots were simultaneous. The second blaster bolt came around and hit the second officer right square in the chest, killing him instantly. I took the opportunity to sigh in relief before disposing of the second officer's body. Yevenna armed the bomb and, just like that, our part of the mission was complete, with minimal incident too.

* * *

"I mean, I do think it's a shame that the Imperials are going to target Loukhamii in response, but, like you said, the Empire was going to target them anyway. They knew what the price was when they rose up against the Empire. It's not like we could take credit either, because then it's going to be Taaszon which is gonna get targeted. It's a - they're coming." Yevenna and I were just talking about the morality of this mission when we heard a hail of blaster fire, a hail of blaster fire which was getting closer. Naturally, we assumed this was Phanza and Ceyla. Yevenna took the pilot seat, firing the ship up, while I hopped in the copilot seat and took control of the nose gun, swinging it around and getting a feel for the controls.

"Go! Go! Go!" Phanza shouted as she and Ceyla ran for the ramp, Imperials behind them. I gave them covering fire as they boarded the ramp, and the moment they were both on it, Yevenna swung the _Ultimate_ out of the hangar and simultaneously raised the ramp. Phanza and Ceyla rushed straight to the cockpit as soon as they were aboard.

"They'll have fighters heading after us any moment and they'll check for explosives, you need to blow it as soon as we're clear." Ceyla advised, taking a grim estimation of events. The two of them took seats in the back, Phanza priming the detonator as none of us had any time to shift position.

"Wait for it...wait for it..." Phanza knew that time was up against us, but she also knew that the explosion from the space station and the star destroyers was going to be a big one. It was going to take some distance before we were safe, and we couldn't promise that the detonator would work when we were in hyperspace. Phanza took a look at the distance between us and the space station, took a breath though gritted teeth, and hit the detonator "Now!"

The explosion of the space station and the Venators detonated behind us, all of it blowing up as we finally won a victory over the Empire. The four of us wanted to celebrate, making good of the costly information from Cipher-9...but then the shockwave reached us. The last thing I felt was the ship lurching forward from the blast as we were left alone and unconscious in the space above Loukhamii.


End file.
